Garment personalization kiosk with rotatable robotic retrieval system

ABSTRACT

Embodiments provide for systems and methods related to kiosks for personalizing a packaged article. The kiosks may also be used for storage, inventory management, retrieval, packaging, and/or personalization of packaged articles. The kiosks discussed herein differ from non-kiosk personalization systems, such as personalization systems installed on a factory or warehouse floor, in that the kiosks are self-contained personalization systems. In some embodiments, the kiosks are portable and can be moved between different sites or events. This portability allows the kiosks to personalize packaged articles for concerts, festivals, conventions, trade shows, and the like.

BACKGROUND

Personalization of articles, such as garments and accessories, isbecoming more popular through embroidery and direct-to-garment (DTG)printing. Personalization of garments is currently a labor-intensiveprocess that requires large areas for machines to be placed so thatskilled operators can work around the machines in order to handle thegarments and operate the machines. There is a desire for personalizationto be on-demand, and in some cases, in small volume so that, forexample, a customer can order a personalized garment and in a matter ofminutes after placing the order receive the personalized garment.Large-scale operations are disadvantageous for on-demand personalizationdue to the high costs of the high-volume machinery, the required space,the non-portability of the equipment, and the skilled labor required.Accordingly, there is a need for on-demand personalization equipmentrequiring little to no labor, having a small footprint, capable of beingmoved to different locations, and capable of small volume orders.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments provide a kiosk system for personalizing an article.The kiosk system includes a housing and an article retrieval systemwithin the housing. The article retrieval system includes a shelvingsystem configured to house a plurality of packaged articles. Eachpackaged article of the plurality of packaged articles is configured tobe personalized by the kiosk system. The article retrieval systemfurther includes a motion system configured to retrieve a packagedarticle of the plurality of packaged articles from the shelving system.The motion system includes a support member having a first track. Thesupport member is configured to rotate about an axis. The motion systemfurther includes a retrieval member movably coupled to the supportmember. The retrieval member is positioned orthogonal to the supportmember. The retrieval member is configured to move on the first track.The motion system further includes a carrier coupled to the retrievalmember at an end opposite the support member, wherein the carrier isconfigured to retrieve the packaged article. The kiosk system furtherincludes an article personalization system within the housing. Thearticle personalization system includes a plurality of system componentsconfigured to personalize the packaged article. The plurality of systemcomponents comprises an article preparation system, a direct-to-garment(DTG) printing system, and a curing system. The kiosk system furtherincludes a transfer system within the housing. The transfer system isconfigured to transfer the packaged article between the systemcomponents. The kiosk system further includes a dispenser configured todispense the packaged article after the kiosk system personalizes thepackaged article. The kiosk system further includes a control systemconfigured to control the kiosk system.

Other embodiments provide a kiosk system for personalizing an article.The kiosk system includes a housing and an article retrieval systemwithin the housing. The article retrieval system includes a shelvingsystem configured to house a plurality of packaged articles. Eachpackaged article of the plurality of packaged articles is configured tobe personalized by the kiosk system. The article retrieval systemfurther includes a motion system configured to retrieve a packagedarticle of the plurality of packaged articles from the shelving system.The motion system includes a support member having a first track and aretrieval member rotatably coupled to the support member. The retrievalmember is positioned orthogonal to the support member and the retrievalmember is configured to move on the first track. The motion systemfurther includes a carrier coupled to the retrieval member at an endopposite the support member, wherein the carrier is configured toretrieve the packaged article. The kiosk system further includes anarticle personalization system within the housing. The articlepersonalization system includes a plurality of system componentsconfigured to personalize the packaged article. The plurality of systemcomponents comprises an article preparation system, a direct-to-garment(DTG) printing system, and a curing system. The kiosk system furtherincludes a transfer system within the housing, wherein the transfersystem is configured to transfer the packaged article between the systemcomponents. The kiosk system further includes a dispenser configured todispense the packaged article after the kiosk system personalizes thepackaged article. The kiosk system further includes a control systemconfigured to control the kiosk system.

Other embodiments provide a method for managing inventory of packagedarticles. The method includes moving a first packaged article from afirst position through a first opening formed by a shelving unit. A rowof the shelving unit includes a dispenser portion, a supply device, anda dispenser actuator. The first opening is formed in the row. The firstposition is adjacent to the first opening. The method further includesretrieving the first packaged article using a carrier of a motionsystem. The method further includes moving remaining packaged articlesin the row towards the first position until a second packaged article isin the first position. The method further includes inserting a thirdpackaged article into a second opening formed by the shelving unit,wherein the second opening is formed in the row. The method furtherincludes moving the third packaged article to a second position, whereinthe second position is adjacent to the second opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrate a schematic view of an on-demand personalizationkiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2A shows an exemplary embodiment of a packaging in a closedposition with an article disposed therein.

FIG. 2B shows the packaging of FIG. 2A in the open position without thearticle.

FIG. 2C shows another embodiment of the packaging of FIG. 2A in the openposition without the article.

FIG. 3 shows a partial side view of the packaging of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 4 shows a partial, cross-sectional view of the packaging of FIG.2A.

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrates another embodiment of a packaging suitable forretaining an article for customization.

FIGS. 6A-B illustrate another embodiment of a packaging suitable forretaining an article for customization. FIG. 6A is a top view of thepackaging, and FIG. 6B a side view of the packaging assembled with anarticle.

FIG. 7A illustrates the upper packaging portion and the lower packagingportion of the packaging of FIGS. 6A-B.

FIGS. 7B and 7C are top and side views of an exemplary embodiment of astiffener having a stepped configuration.

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate another embodiment of a packaging suitable forretaining an article for customization. FIG. 8A is a top view of thepackaging, and FIG. 8B is perspective view of the bottom of thepackaging.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate another embodiment of a packaging suitable forretaining an article for customization. FIG. 9A is a top view of thepackaging, and FIG. 9B is perspective view of the bottom of thepackaging. FIG. 9C shows the packaging without the article.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a retractable hanger as apackaging.

FIG. 11 illustrates a T-shirt supported on the retractable hanger ofFIG. 10 .

FIG. 12A is a front view of another embodiment of a packaging suitablefor retaining an article for customization. FIG. 12B is a back view ofthe packaging of FIG. 12A.

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate another embodiment of a packaging suitable forcustomization. FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a hangerof the packaging disposed in the article, such as a T-shirt. FIG. 14illustrates an exemplary container of the packaging for housing thehanger and the T-shirt. FIG. 15 illustrates the T-shirt and the hangerdisposed in the container.

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of a packaged article suitablefor customization.

FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary hanger of the packaging and a T-shirtdisposed on a platen.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary securing ring disposed on the T-shirt.

FIGS. 19-20 illustrate another embodiment of a packaging suitable forretaining an article for customization. FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplaryembodiment of a hanger frame in an expanded position and disposed insidean article, such as a T-shirt. FIG. 20 illustrates the hanger frame in aretracted position.

FIGS. 21A and 21B depict trimetric views of an on-demand personalizationkiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 21C depicts a front view of a shelving system, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 21D and 21E depict a cross-sectional view of a shelving system,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 21F depicts a cross-sectional view of the carrier from FIG. 21D,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 21G-21J depict cross-sectional views of carriers for graspingpackaged articles, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 21K-21P depict cross-sectional views of different actuationsystems used to move a motion system, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 22A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 22B depicts a partial front view, of a shelving unit, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 22C depicts a cross-sectional top view of shelving units, accordingto some embodiments.

FIGS. 22D-22E depict cross-sectional top views of shelving units,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 22F depicts a flow diagram that illustrates a process for movingpackaged articles through a shelving unit, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 22G-22I schematically illustrate cross-sectional views of packagedarticles at different operations of the process depicted in 22F,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 22J and 22K depict a trimetric and cross-sectional view of acarrier for grasping packaged articles, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 22L and 22M depict a trimetric and cross-sectional view of acarrier for grasping packaged articles, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 22N depicts a trimetric view of a movable shelving system,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 22O depicts a trimetric view of a motion system, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 22P-22R depict different views of a shelving system, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 23A depicts trimetric views of on-demand personalization kiosk,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 23B depicts a cross-sectional top view of a shelving unit,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 23C depicts a cross-sectional top view of a shelving unit,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 23D depicts a flow diagram that illustrates a process for movingpackaged articles through a shelving unit, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 23E-23G schematically illustrate cross-sectional views of packagedarticles at different operations of the process depicted in FIG. 23D,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 24A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 24B and 24C depict side and front views of a rotatable shelvingsystem, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 24D and 24E depict overhead and front views of a motion system,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 24F depicts a cross-sectional side view of a rotatable shelvingsystem, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 25A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 25B and 25C depict top and front views of an article retrievalsystem, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 25D and 25E depict a top view of an article retrieval system,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 25F depicts a front view of the article retrieval system from FIG.25D, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 25G depicts a side view of a transfer system of an on-demandpersonalization kiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 25H depicts a side view of a transfer system of an on-demandpersonalization kiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 26A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 26B and 26C depict cross-sectional views of shelving systems,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 26D depicts a flow diagram that illustrates a process for movingpackaged articles through a shelving unit, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 26E-26H schematically illustrate cross-sectional views of packagedarticles at different operations of the process depicted in FIG. 23D,according to some embodiments

FIG. 26I depicts a cross-sectional view of a transfer system, accordingto some embodiments.

FIG. 26J depicts a top view of the transfer system from FIG. 26I,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 26K depicts a cross-sectional side view of the transfer system fromFIG. 26J, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 27A depicts a trimetric view of a packaged article, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 27B depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 27C depicts a trimetric view of a packaged article in an on-demandpersonalization kiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 28A depicts a perspective view of a mobile on-demandpersonalization kiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 28B-28C depict different views of a mobile on-demandpersonalization kiosk, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 29 illustrates an example system.

FIG. 30 illustrates article and design selection in the system of FIG.29 .

FIG. 31 illustrates simulated image generation in the system of FIG. 29.

FIG. 32 illustrates article and design confirmation in the system ofFIG. 29 .

FIG. 33 illustrates article creation in the system of FIG. 29 .

FIG. 34 is a flowchart of an example method performed by the system ofFIG. 29 .

FIG. 35 illustrates an example display in the system of FIG. 29 .

FIG. 36 illustrates an example system.

FIG. 37 illustrates article and design selection in the system of FIG.36 .

FIG. 38 illustrates design projection in the system of FIG. 36 .

FIG. 39 is a flowchart of an example method performed by the system ofFIG. 36 .

FIG. 40 illustrates an example viewing arrangement.

FIG. 41 illustrates an example viewing arrangement.

FIG. 42 illustrates an example viewing arrangement.

FIG. 43 illustrates an example viewing arrangement.

FIG. 44 illustrates an example viewing arrangement.

FIG. 45 illustrates an example collaboration feature.

FIG. 46 illustrates an example collaboration feature.

FIG. 47 illustrates an example collaboration feature.

FIG. 48 illustrates an example customization based on user experiences.

FIG. 49 illustrates an example customization based on user experiences.

FIG. 50 illustrates an example customization based on user experiences.

FIG. 51 illustrates an example customization based on user poses.

FIG. 52 illustrates an example customization based on user poses.

FIG. 53 illustrates an example customization based on a user image.

FIG. 54 illustrates an example customization based on a user image.

FIG. 55 illustrates an example customization based on a user image.

FIG. 56 illustrates an example customization reveal feature.

FIG. 57 illustrates an example customization reveal feature.

FIG. 58 illustrates an example customization reveal feature.

FIG. 59 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 60 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 61 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 62 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 63 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 64 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 65 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 66 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 67 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 68 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 69 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 70 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 71 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 72 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 73 illustrates an example guided customization feature.

FIG. 74 illustrates an example customization feature.

FIG. 75 illustrates an example customization feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present technology includes systems and methods related to on-demandpersonalization of articles. For example, the present technologyincludes systems and methods related to kiosks for storage, inventorymanagement, retrieval, packaging, and/or personalization of articles,for example clothing articles. A kiosk may include one or more systemcomponents for one or more of: storage/inventory/product retrieval,packaging, and personalization, inside of a housing of the kiosk. Thekiosk may include a control system coupled to, for example, actuators into order be fully and/or partially automated so that in response toreceiving a user input, the control system causes the actuators toperform one or more steps related to storage, inventory management,retrieval, packaging, and/or personalization of articles. The controllermay also control the system components to personalize the article.

The kiosks discussed herein may differ from non-kiosk personalizationsystems, such as personalization systems installed on a factory orwarehouse floor, in that the kiosks are self-contained personalizationsystems. In some embodiments, the kiosks are portable and can be movedbetween different sites or events. This portability allows the kiosks topersonalize packaged articles for concerts, festivals, conventions,trade shows, and the like.

The packaged articles include an article to be personalized andaccompanying packaging. The article may be a garment or piece ofclothing, such as a shirt, jacket, or sweater. The packaging is used toshape the article. For example, the packaging is used to present an areaof the article for personalization as a flat surface and in someembodiments help affixing the article for personalization.

Certain technical features may be added to an on-demand personalizationkiosk to enhance the user experience. First, the kiosk may use machinelearning and an image or video of the user to simulate the look and fitof an article (e.g., a shirt) with a design on the user's body. Thedesign may include one or more user-selected personalizationembellishments (e.g., a graphic, a message, a pattern, etc.). The kioskmay display a simulated image or video that shows the user wearing thearticle with the design so that the user can confirm the look and fit ofthe article with the design before the user purchases, confirms, orcreates the article with the design. In this manner, the kiosk increasesuser satisfaction and reduces material waste caused by returns, incertain embodiments.

Second, the kiosk may include a projector that projects a design ontothe user. The kiosk may detect a position of the user based on acaptured image or video of the user. The kiosk then adjusts a projectorbased on the detected position so that the projector projects a designonto the user. The user may then see how the design would appear on theuser's clothing (e.g., the user's shirt) before purchasing, selecting,or ordering of an article with the design. In this manner, the kioskincreases user satisfaction and reduces waste caused by returns, incertain embodiments.

Third, the kiosk may include a viewing arrangement that allows a user tosee inside the kiosk when an article with a design is being created. Forexample, the viewing arrangement may include a viewport formed using acurved, translucent viewing panel that allows the user to see inside thekiosk as the article with the design is being created. As anotherexample, the viewing arrangement may include a viewing pane that spansacross multiple sides of the kiosk. The viewing pane may be atranslucent material (e.g., glass or plastic) that allows the user tosee inside the kiosk when the article with the design is being created.

As used herein, the term “article”, may refer to one or more itemsincluding, but not limited to, a piece of clothing (e.g. shirts, pants,socks, shoes, shorts, coats, jackets, skirts, dresses, underwear, hats,headbands, etc.), accessories (e.g. wallet, purse, etc.), and homewares(e.g. towels, pillow cases, blankets, mats, etc.). In embodiments, theterm “packaged article” may refer to the article in combination with apackaging, portion of a packaging, and/or a personalization support. Asshown in some of the figures, the article is shown as a T-shirt.However, a T-shirt is a non-limiting example of an article or a portionthereof, and any of the system components disclosed herein may be usedwith any type of article.

FIG. 1 illustrate a schematic view of an on-demand personalization kiosk10, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 10 (referred to as the kiosk 10)includes a housing 12. An article retrieval system 14, an articlepersonalization system 16, and a transfer system 18 are disposed withinthe housing 12. The kiosk 10 further includes a control system 90 forcontrolling the systems of the kiosk 10. In one example, the kiosk 10 isa direct-to-garment vending machine.

In some embodiments, the article retrieval system 14 includes a storagearea 30 for housing a plurality of articles 15 to be personalized. Thearticles 15 may be stored as a packaged article 15P, i.e., pre-packagedwith a packaging 11. In one example, the packaged article 15P may bestored in a shelving system of the storage area 30. In some embodiments,the retrieval system 14 includes a motion system for retrieving thepackaged articles 15P from the storage area 30.

The article personalization system 16 includes a plurality of systemcomponents used to personalize the packaged articles 15P. The systemcomponents may vary depending on how the packaged article 15P is to bepersonalized. In some embodiments, the system components include apreparation system 16A, a pretreatment system 16B, a direct-to-garment(DTG) printer 16C, and a curing system 16D. In some embodiments, thesystem components include embroidery system.

The article preparation system 16A prepares the packaged articles 15Pfor processing, such as DTG printing. In one embodiment, the articlepreparation system 16A includes an ironing system, a heat lamp, or aheat press. The article preparation system 16A prepares a to-be printedsurface of the packaged articles 15P by removing wrinkles from thepackaged articles 15P, which may beneficially provide an even surfacefor printing and reduce defects in the packaged articles 15P.

The pretreatment system 16B prepares the packaged articles 15P forprinting by applying a pretreatment solution. The pretreatment solutionprovides a base layer on which the DTG printer 16C may print. Thepretreatment system 16B may apply the pretreatment solution to an entireside of the packaged article 15P to be customized or only to a portionto be printed on according to the personalization order. For example, ifa personalization order indicated the printing area to be a 4″×4″ areaon the left front breast of a T-shirt, the pretreatment solution is onlyapplied to that area, instead of a larger portion of the shirt, forexample the entire front portion, or an area spanning the entire widthof the shirt. After the pretreatment solution is applied, the articlepreparation system 16A may be used to at least partially cure thepretreatment solution. In some embodiments, the heat press may hoverover the packaged article 15P until the pretreatment solution is curedto the desired amount. In one example, heat from a heat lamp maybetransferred via convection or radiation to dry the packaged article 15P.For example, heat transfer via convection or radiation may be suitablefor some packaging materials, such as cardboard, paper, rubbers, andplastic. In some embodiments, the preparation system 16A and thepretreatment system 16B are integrated as one system.

The DTG printer 16C is used to print a graphic such as an image ordesign on the packaged articles 15P. The graphic may be colored, blackand white, or greyscale. For example, the DTG printer 16C may print agraphic selected by a user for personalization. If a pretreatmentsolution was applied to the packaged articles 15P, then the DTG printer16C prints over at least a portion of the area treated with pretreatmentsolution. The graphic printed on the packaged article 15P may be wetafter printing and require additional processing.

The curing system 16D cures, such as by drying, the printed graphic onthe packaged articles 15P. In some embodiments, the curing system 16Ddries the packaged articles 15P by applying a pressure and/ortemperature using a heat plate and/or heat lamp. Once the graphicreaches a predetermined dryness level, the article, such as a shirt, maybe presented to the user. For example, the article may be presented tothe user through a dispenser of the kiosk 10.

The transfer system 18 transfers the packaged articles 15P to, from,and/or between the system components of the kiosk 10 for processing. Thetransfer system 18 also transfers the packaged articles 15P from thesystem components to the dispenser. In some embodiments, the kiosk 10 isequipped with the transfer system 18 and the motion system of theretrieval system 14. For example, the motion system may retrieve andpresent the packaged articles 15P to the transfer system 18. In someembodiments, the transfer system 18 may also function as the motionsystem for the retrieval system 14, or the motion system may function asthe transfer system 18. In some embodiments, the transfer system 18 mayinclude a combination of one or more of: robotic arms, actuators,grippers, platens, conveyor belts (horizontal, vertical, curved and/orangled), railed vehicles, trackless vehicles, and similar conveyingmeans. In some embodiments, the transfer system 18 may be configured formanipulating system components, articles, and portions thereof withinthe kiosk 10. For example, the transfer system 18 may unpack thepackaged articles 15P from a box, hanger, tube, retainer, or fixture ormay package the articles 15 into a box or tube, or onto a hanger orfixture.

The control system 90 controls the kiosk 10. For example, the controlsystem 90 controls the motion system and the transfer system 18. In oneexample, in response to receiving user input of a personalization order,the control system 90 may determine instructions for the motion systemto retrieve the packaged articles 15P from the storage area, and for thetransfer system 18 to transfer the packaged articles 15P to and from thesystem components. In another example, in response to receiving userinput of a personalization order, the control system 90 may determineinstructions for the transfer system to retrieve the packaged articles15P from the storage area, and for the transfer system 18 to transferthe packaged articles 15P to and from the system components.

The control system 90 may be connected to one or more, including all, ofthe system components of the article personalization system 16 in orderto automate processes of the kiosk 10. For example, the control system90 may cause the transfer system 18 to transfer the packaged article 15Pfrom the motion system to the article preparation system 16A, may causethe article preparation system 16A to remove wrinkles from the packagedarticle 15P, may cause the transfer system 18 to transfer the packagedarticle 15 from the article preparation system 16A to the pretreatmentsystem 16B, may cause the pretreatment system 16B to apply thepretreatment solution to the packaged article 15P, may cause thetransfer system 18 to transfer the packaged article 15P from thepretreatment system 16B to the DTG printer 16C, may cause the DTGprinter 16C to print a personalization on the packaged article 15P, maycause the transfer system 18 to transfer the packaged article 15P fromthe DTG printer 16C to a curing system 16D, may cause the curing system16D to dry the packaged article 15P, and may cause the transfer system18 to transfer the packaged article 15P from the curing system 16D tothe dispenser for pick-up. In some embodiments, the control system 90may cause the transfer system 18 to transfer the packaged article 15P toa drying system 16D after the pretreatment system 16B and/or the DTGprinter 16C.

The control system 90 may also be connected to the storage area and thepackaged articles 15P in order to manage an inventory of the packagedarticles 15P. For example, the control system 90 may know what types ofpackaged articles 15P are loaded in the storage area, such as packingtype, garment type (e.g., hoodies or shirts), garment sizes, garmentcolors, garment material, garment fit type (e.g., loose fit, modern fit,fitted, or big and tall), and the like. Information on the types ofpackaged articles 15P may be entered manually or automatically detectedby the control system 90 using a sensor or indicator in or on thepackaging (e.g., a bar code, QR code, RFID tag, and the like). Once anorder is received, the control system 90 directs the motion system orthe transfer system 18 retrieve a packaged article 15P to fulfill theuser's personalization order. The information on the types of packagedarticles 15P available may also be used to modify a display or userinterface available to the user, such as presenting only availableinventory or designs to the user.

The system components may be arranged in any physical orientationrelative to each other, and the transfer system 18 may transfer thepackaged articles 15P between the system components during a DTGprocess, including transferring an article to the same system componenttwice at different stages of the DTG process.

In some embodiments, the DTG printer 16C may operate as a wet-on-wet DTGprinting process, and therefore, after applying the pretreatmentsolution, the DTG printing operation may be initiated without firstdrying the packaged article 15P. In other configurations, a wet-on-dryprinting system may be used, and thereby requiring a drying processafter the application of a pretreatment solution.

In some embodiments, the system components do not include the pretreatsystem 16B. Instead, the packaged articles 15P may be pretreated with apretreatment solution, which may be the same or different than thepretreatment solution dispensed by the pretreatment system 16B. Thepretreating of the packaged articles 15P may occur at an earlier step,such as prior to the packaged articles 15P being loaded into the storagearea of the kiosk 10. The pretreated packaged articles 15P may have thepretreatment solution applied to the entire side of the article 15 oronly to a portion to be printed on according to the personalizationorders that are expected or anticipated. For example, the articles 15may be pretreated to accommodate a finite number of printing graphics,such as a 20 or less graphics, such as 15 or less graphics, such as 10or less graphics, such as 5 or less graphics, such as 3 or lessgraphics, such as 1 graphic.

In some embodiments, the article preparation system 16A may be used toactivate the pretreatment solution embedded in the packaged articles 15Pprior to DTG printing.

In some embodiments, any of the system components may include thearticle preparation system 16A or the curing system 16D. For example,the pretreatment system 16B may include the curing system 16D. In someembodiments, the control system 90 may cause the transfer system 18 totransfer a packaged article 15P to the curing system 16D after anyprocess stage.

In some embodiments, the article preparation system 16A and/or thecuring system 16D may use direct application of a radiant heat source,convection heat via forced air, and/or applying radiation from a lightsource (e.g. an LED light source) to dry the ink from the DTG printer16C and pretreatment solution from the pretreatment system 16B.

In some embodiments, one or more, including all, of the systemcomponents of the kiosk 10 may be fully sealed and/or vented to theoutside of the kiosk 10 in order to prevent spreading undesirablechemicals and vapors within the kiosk housing 12 and/or to the immediatevicinity outside of the kiosk 10.

In some embodiments, the packaging for customizing an article may beconfigured to store and allow manipulation of articles to be printed,such as by Direct to Garment (DTG) printing. While embodiments disclosedherein use printing as an example of a customization of an article, thepackaging may be used with other customization processes such asembroidery.

The article to be customized may be pre-assembled with the packaging andstored as a packaged article in a kiosk prior to being printed. Thepackaged article may be configured so that it may be at least one of:stackable, reduced in height, and/or reduced in size. In one embodiment,the packaged article may be generally flat so that the packaged articlemay be stacked, for example for storage and transport. In someembodiments, the packaged article may transition from a packagedconfiguration, e.g., wherein the article is folded or rolled, to aprinting configuration, e.g., where the article is unfolded or unrolled.In some embodiments, a plurality of packaged articles may be nested tooccupy less volume during storage and may be un-nested during or afterretrieval of the package article for personalization. The packagedarticle may include features that are accessible to a robot in order forthe robot to automatically move and manipulate the packaged article, forexample, but not limited to, from a storage location to a DTG machine.

First Packaging Embodiment

FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a packaging 101 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. FIG. 2A shows the packaging101 in the closed position with an article 105 disposed therein, andFIG. 2B shows the packaging 101 in the open position without thearticle. In some embodiments, the packaging 101 may be in the form of abox during storage, printing, or retail presentation. Although a box isdisclosed in this embodiment, the packaging 101 may have any suitableshape, such as a triangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, and othersuitable polygonal shapes; arcuate shapes such as circle and ellipse;and other suitable symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes. FIG. 3 shows apartial side view of the packaging 101, and FIG. 4 shows a partial,cross-sectional view of the packaging 101.

In one embodiment, the packaging 101 may include a lower packagingportion 111 and an upper packaging portion 112. The upper packagingportion 112 may be coupled or decoupled from the lower packaging portion111. For example, the upper packaging portion 112 may be pivotallyconnected to the lower packaging portion 111 so the upper packagingportion 112 may swing open relative to the lower packaging portion 111.In alternative embodiments, the upper packaging portion 112 is fullyseparable from the lower packaging portion 111, as illustrated in FIG.2C.

In one embodiment, the lower packaging portion 111 includes a bottomwall 121 and a plurality of outer sidewalls 122. As shown, four outersidewalls 122 are provided along the perimeter of the bottom wall 121.The lower packaging portion 111 also includes a support surface forsupporting the article 105 to be personalized. The support surface 131is disposed on a plurality of inner sidewalls 132, such as four innersidewalls 132. In some embodiments, the support surface 131 may functionas a platen or a supporting platform during the printing process. Thesupport surface 131 is sized to provide the desired printing area forthe article 105. In one embodiment, the perimeter of the support surface131 has a shape that is similar to the shape of the packaging 101. Asshown, the support surface 131 has a rectangular shape. In oneembodiment, a channel 140 is formed between the inner sidewalls 132 andthe outer sidewalls 122. In some embodiments, the channel 140 issufficiently sized to receive portions of the article 105 that extendbeyond and below the support surface 131. In this way, an article 105could be disposed across the support surface 131 with excess portions ofthe article 105 being tucked into the channel 140 (as shown for examplein FIG. 4 ). The channel width could be sized to ensure that the excessportions of the material are sufficiently snug to retain the excessportions of the article 105. In some embodiments, the channel 140 formedaround each side of the support surface 131 may have the same ordifferent widths. For example, the channel 140 formed on the left andright sides may be narrower than the channel 140 formed on the top andbottom sides. In another example, the channel 140 at the top side may benarrower than the channel 140 at the bottom side. Although FIG. 2B showsthe channel 140 extending around the four sides of the support surface131, it is contemplated the channel 140 may be formed on three sides,two sides, or one side of the support surface 131. In some embodiments,the height of the support surface 131 is higher than the height of theouter sidewalls 122. In alternative embodiments, the channel 140accommodates part of the garment and the remainder of the garment mayaccumulate within a cavity (not shown) under the support surface 131. Insome embodiments, an optional opening 148 is formed through the supportsurface 131 to facilitate removal of the article 105 from the packaging101. For example, a user or a robot can insert a hand or an arm throughthe opening 148 from the bottom of the packaging 101 and push thearticle 105 away from the support surface 131 to be grasped by the useror the robot.

In some embodiments, the upper packaging portion 112 includes a window145 to allow access to the article 105 during the printing process. Insome embodiments, the upper packaging portion 112 includes a top wall126 and the window 145 is formed through the top wall 126. In someembodiments, the size of the window 145 is larger than, smaller than, orsame as the size of the support surface 131. In one embodiment, thewindow 145 is the same or slightly larger than the size of the graphicto be printed. FIG. 4 shows the window 145 is slightly larger than thesupport surface 131, and optionally, larger than the size of the supportsurface 131 with the article 105 disposed thereon.

In some embodiments, the upper packaging portion 112 includes aplurality of outer sidewalls 127 attached to the top wall 126. Forexample, four outer sidewalls 127 may extend down from the top wall 126toward the plurality of sidewalls 122 of the lower packaging portion111. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the perimeter formed by the pluralityof sidewalls 127 is the same as or substantially the same as theperimeter formed by the plurality of outer sidewalls 122 of the lowerpackaging portion 111. In one embodiment, the upper and lower packagingportions 112, 111 may be coupled by attaching one of the outer sidewalls127 of the upper packaging portion 112 to an outer sidewall 122 of thelower packaging portion 111. In some embodiments, a channel 150 isformed between the inner sidewalls 132 and the outer sidewalls 127. Thechannel 150 is sufficiently sized to receive portions of the article 105that extend below the support surface 131. In some embodiments, thechannel 150 formed around each side of the support surface 131 may havethe same or different widths. In one embodiment, the upper channel 150has the same width configuration as the lower channel 140. In someembodiments, the upper packaging portion 112 is pivotally attached oneside of the lower packaging portion 111, such as a sidewall 127 of theupper packaging portion 112 attached to a sidewall 122 of the lowerpackaging portion 111.

In some embodiments, the top wall 126 of the upper packaging portion 112is in line or slightly below the support surface 131 of the lowerpackaging portion 111, when the packaging 101 is closed. In someembodiments, the printing surface of the article 105 is positionedslightly higher (i.e., closer to the printing head) than the top wall126. In some embodiments, the support surface 131 is configured toposition the printing surface of the article 105 at a distance from 1 mmto 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printing head. In someembodiments, the upper packaging portion 112 and the lower packagingportion 111 are configured to keep the article 105 taut during the DTGprocess. For example, the window 145 of the upper packaging portion 112may be sized to press the article 105 against the inner sidewalls 132around the support surface 131. In some embodiments, the packaging has aheight from 1.25 inches to 5 inches or from 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches. Insome embodiments, the printable area of the packaging 101 has a widthfrom 3 inches to 30 inches or from 10 inches to 25 inches, and a lengthfrom 3 inches to 30 inches or from 15 inches to 28 inches. In someembodiment, the lower packaging portion 111 and the upper packagingportion 112 may be manufactured from one or more of: cardboard, paper,plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood, and composites. In one embodiment,the packaging 101 is made from cardboard and can be reloaded withanother article 104 and reused. In some embodiments, the lower and upperpackaging portions 111, 112 include a registration feature used by thetransfer system 18 and the personalization system 16 to ensure properpositioning of the packaged article 105P relative to the systems. Forexample, the top edge of the upper packaging portion 112 may be used asa reference point when gripped by the robot. That reference point may bealigned with a corresponding reference point on the printer 16C.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a personalization kiosk 10capable of storing, retrieving, manipulating, moving and dispensing apackaged article 105P. The personalization kiosk 10 includes a windowand/or a user interface. In response to receiving a personalizationorder, a control system 90 may cause a transfer system 18 to retrieve apackaged article 105P from a storage area 30, such as a shelving systemof the storage area 30. In this example, article 105 contained in thepackage article 105P is a T-shirt. The packaged article 105P isretrieved from the storage area 30 storing a plurality of packagedarticles 105P with T-shirts of different sizes, styles, color, andcombinations thereof. The transfer system 18 may transfer the retrievedpackaged article 105P within the kiosk 10 to be personalized accordingto the personalization order. In some embodiments, the transfer system18 may include a robot arm configured to retrieve the selected packagedarticle 105P and transfer packaged article 105P to a conveyor belt ofthe transfer system 18 or to components of the personalization system16.

In one example, the packaged article 105P may be transferred by thetransfer system 18 through each component of the personalization system16. For example, the packaged article 105P may be transferred initiallyto the preparation system 16A, wherein the article 105 may be heatpressed. The packaged article 105P may then be transferred to thepretreatment system 16B. The pretreatment system 16B may apply apretreatment solution to an entire side of the article 105 to be DTGprinted on or may only apply pretreatment solution to a portion of thearticle 105 to be printed on according to the personalization order. Forexample, if a personalization order indicated the printing area to be a6″ by 6″ area on the left front breast of a T-shirt, the pretreatmentsolution is only applied to that area, instead of a larger portion ofthe shirt. In some embodiments, the transfer system 18 may use aregistration feature of the packaged article 105P, such as an edge, foralignment with the pretreatment system 16B. Pretreating the article 105may facilitate the bonding of the ink from the DTG printer to thearticle 105. Thereafter, the packaged article 105P may be transferred tothe preparation system 16A or the curing system 16D for drying. In someembodiments, the pretreatment system 16B has its own dryer, and thearticle 105 may be transferred to the pretreatment dryer. In someembodiments, the packaged article 105P is initially transferred from thestorage area 30 to the pretreatment system 16B. After pretreatment, thepackaged article 105P is transferred to the preparation system 16A fordrying. In a WET-ON-WET process, the packaged article 105P may betransferred to the DTG printer 16C. In some embodiments, the WET_ON_WETprocess may include a process step where the article 105P is pressedwith a roller or flat press to cause the fabric fibers to flatten andpoint in a given direction, thereby improving the print quality. In someembodiments, while the packaged article 105P is being process, e.g.,pretreated, dried, or printed, the robot arm may be directed to handle adifferent packaged article and directed back to retrieve the packagedarticle 105P after processing.

After pretreatment and drying, the printing area of the article 105 maybe flat and wrinkle free and ready for print. The robot arm of thetransfer system 18 removes the packaged article 105P from the dryer 16Dand transfers the packaged article 105P to the DTG printer 16C. Thetransfer system 18 also aligns the print-access window 145 with theprinter head of the printer 16C. The printer 16C digitally prints thearticle 105 according to the personalized order. In some embodiments,the printable area of the article 105 is located above the top wall 126and closer to the printing head of the DTG printer 16C. After printing,the packaged article 105P is transferred to a dryer 16D, and the article105 is heated to dry the ink. The packaged article 105P is retrievedfrom the dryer 16D and delivered to the window of the kiosk for pickupby the user. In this example, the packaging 101 of the packaged article105P also serves as the retail packaging that is delivered to the user.In some embodiments, the packaged article 105P is opened, and thearticle 105 is removed from the support surface 131 before delivery tothe user. In another embodiment, the article 105 is removed from thepackaging 101 by pushing out from the bottom of the lower packagingportion 111 via the opening 148. Then the article 105 can be pulledthrough the window 145 in the upper packaging portion 112. In someembodiments, the packaging 101 can be reloaded with a new article 105and reused.

In some embodiments, the packaging 101 may include identification (“ID”)tags that help identify the article in the packaging, communicate withcontrol system, provide for “Internet of Things” operation, and remoteoperation by allowing each packaged article to be tracked andinventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configured tocommunicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations of thetransfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 101, such as the upper packaging portion 112and the lower packaging portion 111. It is contemplated the ID tag maybe included with other packaging embodiments described herein, such aspackaging 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901, and 1001.

Embodiments of the packaging 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801,901, and 1001 described herein use minimal amounts of packagingmaterial. In this respect, the packaging is more friendly to theenvironment by conserving resources and reducing waste. Also, thepackaging occupies less storage space, thereby allowing more inventoryto be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk. The minimal packagingmay increase efficiency and reduce costs by reducing packaging effortsand packaging costs. The packaging may reduce the manipulation of thepackaging as the article moves through the kiosk. For example, thesmaller packaging can be more easily handled by the transfer system 18or accommodated within the personalization system 16, such as the DTGprinter 16C and the pretreatment system 16B. In some embodiments, thepackaging also serves as the retail packaging that is delivered to theuser.

Second Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrates another embodiment of a packaging 201 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. The packaging 201 includes astiffener 210 disposed inside the article 205. As shown, the article 205is a T-shirt. FIG. 5A is a front view of the article 205, and FIG. 5B isa back view of the article 205. The article 205 and the packaging 201may be referred to as a packaged article 205P. It is contemplated thefront and/or the back of the article 205 may be personalized.

The stiffener 210 provides support for the article 205 and a flatsurface for the DTG printing process. In one embodiment, the stiffener210 includes a flat surface and is disposed inside the article 205,i.e., the article may be wrapped around the stiffener 210 or thestiffener may be disposed inside a cavity of the article. The portionsof the article 205 beyond the stiffener 210 may be wrapped around theedges of the stiffener 210. In some embodiments, the folded portions areheld together using a retainer 220, such as a clip. Other exemplaryretainers 220 include tapes, adhesive, and other suitable retainers. Inthe embodiment as shown, the clip remains below the print area of thearticle 205 while securing the folded portions. In this respect, thefastener 220 does not obstruct the printing area. The minimal packagingmaterial used may expose the maximum area for printing. In this example,the entire surface between the edges of the stiffener 210 may be used asthe printing area. In some embodiments, the printable area may extend toat least one edge of the stiffener 210, for example, two, three, or fouredges. The minimal packaging also saves manufacturing costs.

Embodiments of the stiffener 210 may be made from one or more of:cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood, and composites.In one embodiment, the stiffener 210 is made of cardboard and has arectangular shape. However, the stiffener 210 may have any shapesuitable for the DTG printer. The stiffener 210 may have any size thatis suitable for the DTG printer. For example, the stiffener 210 can havea width from 5 in. to 20 in., a length from 5 in. to 20 in., and athickness from 0.002 in. to 1 in. The article 205 assembled with thepackaging 201 provides a thin profile allows more inventory to be storedin a confined space, such as a kiosk. In some embodiments, the article205 and the stiffener 210 has an overall thickness from 0.01 inches to 3inches or from 0.1 inches to 1 inch. In some embodiments, the stiffener210 is configured to position the printing surface of the article 205 ata distance from 1 mm to 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printinghead. In some embodiments described herein, the stiffener 210 mayinclude an ID tag to facilitate tracking of the article 205 during theprinting process, as discussed above. In some embodiments, the packaging201 also serves as the retail packaging that is delivered to the user.In some embodiments, the stiffener 210 may be used as registrationfeature to facilitate alignment with the DTG printer or the pretreatmentsystem.

Third Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 6A-B and 7A-7C illustrate another embodiment of a packaging 301suitable for retaining an article for customization. FIG. 6A is a topview of the packaging 301, and FIG. 6B a side view of the packaging 301.FIG. 7A illustrates the upper packaging portion 312 and the lowerpackaging portion 311 of the packaging 301. As shown, the packaging 301is in the form of a box shape, but may be in any suitable shape. FIGS.6A-6B show the packaging 301 with an article 305 disposed therein. Insome embodiments, the article 305 may be assembled with a stiffener,such as a stiffener 210 disclosed with respect to FIGS. 5A-5B. In someembodiments, the packaging 301 may include a retainer, such as theretainer 220 disclosed with respect to FIGS. 5A-5B.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the lower packaging portion 311 includes a bottomwall 321 and a plurality of sidewalls 322. The article 305 is disposedon the bottom wall 321 of the packaging 301, and the article 305 mayoptionally include a stiffener 310. In some embodiments, the bottom wall321 includes a bottom window 329 for accessing a printable area on thearticle 305. In this embodiment, the article 305 includes a stiffener310 to provide additional support for the article 305. The bottom window329 may have any suitable shapes and/or sizes. As shown, the bottomwindow 329 has a rectangular shape and has a width and a length that areshorter than the width and length of the bottom wall 321. In someembodiments, the height of the plurality of sidewalls 322 issubstantially the same as the thickness of the article 305 in the lowerpackaging portion 311. For example, the height of the plurality ofsidewalls 322 may be from 0.70× to 1.25× the thickness of the article305 or from 0.85× to 1.15× the thickness of the article 305. In anotherexample, the height of the plurality of sidewalls 322 is from 0.85× to1× the thickness of the article 305 including the stiffener, if thestiffener is used.

The upper packaging portion 312 includes a window 345 to allow access tothe article 305 during the printing process. In some embodiments, theupper packaging portion 312 includes a top wall 326, and the window 345is formed through the top wall 326. As shown, the top wall 326 forms arim around the window 345. The window 345 may have any suitable shapesand/or sizes. As shown, the window 345 has a rectangular shape and has awidth and a length that are shorter than the width and length of the topwall 326. The upper packaging portion 312 also has a plurality ofsidewalls 327 attached to the top wall 326. The plurality of sidewalls327 may extend down from the top wall 326 toward the plurality ofsidewalls 322 of the lower packaging portion 311. In some embodiments,the sidewalls 327 of the upper packaging portion 312 overlap with thesidewalls 322 of the lower packaging portion 311. In this example, thesidewalls 322 of the lower packaging portion 311 are disposed inside thesidewalls 327 of the upper packaging portion 312. However, the sidewalls322 may be disposed around the outside of the sidewalls of the lowerpackaging portion 312. In some embodiments, the height of the sidewalls327 is the same as or shorter than the height of the sidewalls 322 ofthe lower packaging portion 311. In some embodiments, the packaging 301is configured to position the printing surface of the article 305 at adistance from 1 mm to 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printinghead.

In some embodiments, the printing surface of the article 305 ispositioned slightly higher (i.e., closer to the printing nozzle) thanthe top wall 326, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the upper packaging portion312 is disposed over the lower packaging portion 312. For example, thearticle 305 may be supported by a stiffener 310 having a steppedconfiguration, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C. The stiffener 310 includes abody 361 and a raised support surface 362. The body 361 has a shape anda size that is substantially the same as the lower packaging portion311. In this respect, the body 361 may minimize movement of the articlerelative to the lower packaging portion 311. The raised support surface362 of the stiffener 310 may have a shape and size that is substantiallythe same as or slightly smaller than the window 345. In this respect,the raised support surface 362 positions the printable area of thearticle 305 through the window 345 and closer to the printing nozzle.

In some embodiments described herein, the packaging 301 may include anID tag to facilitate tracking of the article 305 during the printingprocess, as discussed above. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 301, such as the upper packaging portion 312,the lower packaging portion 311, and the stiffener 310. In someembodiments, the lower and upper packaging portions 311, 312 includes aregistration feature used by the transfer system 18 and thepersonalization system 16 to ensure proper positioning of the packagedarticle relative to the systems. For example, one or more sides of theupper packaging portion 312 may be used as a reference point whengripped by the robot. That reference point may be aligned with acorresponding reference point on the printer 16C. In some embodiment,the lower packaging portion 311 and the upper packaging portion 312 maybe manufactured from one or more of: cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers,metal, glass, wood, and composites. In one embodiment, the packaging 301is made from cardboard and can be reloaded with another article andreused. In some embodiments, the packaging also serves as the retailpackaging that is delivered to the user.

Fourth Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate another embodiment of a packaging 401 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. FIG. 8A is a top view of thepackaging 401, and FIG. 8B is perspective view of the bottom of thepackaging 401. The packaging 401 is similar and to the packaging 301 ofFIGS. 6A-B and 7A-7C. For clarity, similar features will not be furtherdiscussed in detail and will be identified with similar referencenumbers. In this embodiment, the packaging 401 includes an upperpackaging portion 412 and a lower packaging portion 411. FIGS. 8A-8B areshown with the article 405 disposed therein.

The lower packaging portion 411 includes a bottom wall 421 and aplurality of sidewalls 422. In some embodiments, the bottom wall 421includes a bottom window 429 for accessing a printable area at thebottom of the article 405. In this embodiment, the article 405 includesa stiffener to provide additional support for the article 405. Thearticle 405 may include a retainer for securing the folded portions ofthe article 405. The bottom window 429 may have any suitable shapesand/or sizes.

The upper packaging portion 412 includes a window 445 to allow access tothe printable area of the article 405 during the printing process. Insome embodiments, the upper packaging portion 412 includes a top wall426 and the window 445 is formed through the top wall 426. As shown, thewindow 445 has a rectangular shape and a length that is shorter than thelength of the top wall 421. In comparison to the window 345 of thepackaging 301 shown in FIG. 6A, the width of the window 445 extends theentire width of the top wall 426, thereby providing a larger printablearea. The upper packaging portion 412 also has a plurality of sidewalls427 extending down from the top wall 426 toward the plurality ofsidewalls 422 of the lower packaging portion 411. In some embodiments,the sidewalls 427 of the upper packaging portion 412 overlap with thesidewalls 422 of the lower packaging portion 411 when the packaging 401is closed. The sidewalls 422 of the lower packaging portion 411 can bedisposed inside or outside of the sidewalls 427 of the upper packagingportion 412. In some embodiments, the packaging 401 is configured toposition the printing surface of the article 405 at a distance from 1 mmto 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printing head. In someembodiments, a stepped stiffener may be used to position the printingsurface of the article 405 slightly higher (i.e., closer to the printingnozzle) than the top wall 426, when the upper packaging portion 412 isdisposed over the lower packaging portion 412. In some embodiment, thelower packaging portion 411 and the upper packaging portion 412 may bemanufactured from one or more of: cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers,metal, glass, wood, and composites. In one embodiment, the packaging 401is made from cardboard and can be reloaded with another article andreused.

In some embodiments, the packaging 401 may include identification (“ID”)tags that help identify the article in the packaging, communicate withcontrol system, provide for “Internet of Things” operation, and remoteoperation by allowing each packaged article to be tracked andinventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configured tocommunicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations of thetransfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 401, such as the upper packaging portion 412,the lower packaging portion 411, and the stiffener. It is contemplatedID tags may be included with other packaging embodiments describedherein, such as packaging 101, 201, 301, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901, and1001.

In some embodiments, the lower and upper packaging portions 411, 412includes a registration feature used by the transfer system 18 and thepersonalization system 16 to ensure proper positioning of the packagedarticle relative to the systems. For example, one or more sides of theupper packaging portion 412 may be used as a reference point whengripped by the robot. That reference point may be aligned with acorresponding reference point on the printer 16C.

Embodiments of the packaging 401 use minimal amounts of packagingmaterial. In this respect, the packaging is more friendly to theenvironment by conserving resources and reducing waste. Also, theminimal packaging occupies less storage space, thereby allowing moreinventory to be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk. Thepackaging may increase efficiency and reduce costs by reducing packagingefforts and packaging costs. The minimal packaging may reduce themanipulation of the packaging as the article moves through the kiosk.For example, the smaller packaging can be more easily handled by thetransfer system 18 or accommodated within the personalization system 16,such as the DTG printer 16C and the pretreatment system 16B. In someembodiments, the packaging also serves as the retail packaging that isdelivered to the user.

Fifth Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate another embodiment of a packaging 501 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. FIG. 9A is a top view of thepackaging 501, and FIG. 9B is perspective view of the bottom of thepackaging 501. FIGS. 9A-9B show the packaging 501 assembled with thearticle 505. FIG. 9C shows the packaging 501 without the article 505.

In some embodiments, the lower packaging portion 511 and the upperpackaging portion 512 are endcaps that fit over the bottom end and thetop end of the article 501. In one embodiment, the endcaps 511, 512includes a front wall 526 connected to a back wall 521, and an opening527 formed between the front and back walls 526, 521. In someembodiments, a connecting wall connects the front wall 526 to the backwall 521. In some embodiments, the front wall 526 connects directly tothe back wall 521. In some embodiments, the front wall 526, back wall521, and, if present, the connecting wall are made from a single pieceof material, such as cardboard. The opening 527 of the endcaps 511, 512is configured to grip and secure the ends of the article 505. Astiffener 510 is used to provide rigidity to the article 505. Thestiffener 510 may optionally include a raised support surface, similarto the stiffener 310. Because the endcaps 511, 512 can secure the foldedportions of the article 505, use of a retainer is optional. The endcaps511, 512 may have any suitable length, which can be based on the desiredthe printable area. In some embodiments, the endcaps 511, 512 may beused as a registration feature for the transfer system 18 and thepersonalization system 16 to ensure proper positioning of the article505 relative to the systems. For example, the top edge of the upper endcap 512 may be used as a reference point when gripped by the robot. Thatreference point may be aligned with a corresponding reference point onthe printer 16C. In some embodiments, the packaging 501 is configured toposition the printing surface of the article 305 at a distance from 1 mmto 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printing head.

In some embodiments, the packaging 501 may include identification (“ID”)tags that help identify the article in the packaging, communicate withcontrol system, provide for “Internet of Things” operation, and remoteoperation by allowing each packaged article to be tracked andinventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configured tocommunicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations of thetransfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 501, such as the endcaps 511, 512 and thestiffener 510.

Embodiments of the packaging 501 use minimal amounts of packagingmaterial. In this respect, the packaging is more friendly to theenvironment by conserving resources and reducing waste. Also, thepackaging occupies less storage space, thereby allowing more inventoryto be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk. The minimal packagingmay increase efficiency and reduce costs by reducing packaging effortsand packaging costs. The packaging may reduce the manipulation of thepackaging as the article moves through the kiosk. For example, thesmaller packaging can be more easily handled by the transfer system 18or accommodated within the personalization system 16, such as the DTGprinter 16C and the pretreatment system 16B. In some embodiments, thepackaging also serves as the retail packaging that is delivered to theuser.

In some embodiment, the lower packaging portion 511 and the upperpackaging portion 512 may be manufactured from one or more of:cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood, and composites.In one embodiment, the packaging 501 is made from cardboard. After theDTG process, the endcaps 511, 512 can be collected and reused withanother article.

Sixth Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 10-11 illustrate another embodiment of a packaging 601 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. The packaging 601 includes aretractable hanger 610. FIG. 10 illustrates the retractable hanger 610and an article, such as a T-shirt 605. FIG. 11 illustrates the T-shirt605 supported on the hanger 610.

In some embodiments, the hanger 610 includes a first hanging arm 611connected to a second hanging arm 612. A hook 615 is attached to atleast one of the arms 611, 612. In this embodiment, the first and secondarms 611, 612 are collapsible. For example, at least one of the firstand second arms 611, 162 may bend or break to form a collapsedconfiguration in response to a pull force. In some embodiments, thefirst and second arms 611, 612 are pivotable relative to each other. Forexample, the first and second arms 611, 612 may be hinged at respectiveends to form a pivot point about which the arms can pivot relative toeach other. The degree of rotation is sufficient to allow a garmentdisposed on the hanger 610 to be removed from the hanger 610 bycollapsing the arms 611, 612. In some embodiments, a biasing member suchas a spring is used to bias the first arm 611 and the second arm 612between an extended position and a retracted position. In someembodiments, the first and second arms 611, 612 may be locked at variousangled positions to accommodate different sizes of articles and loadingor unloading of the article into/onto the packaging 601 and othersuitable packaging embodiments described herein such as packaging 801,1001. Embodiments of the first and second arms 611, 612 may be made fromone or more of: cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood,and composites. In FIG. 11 , the hanger 610 is made of cardboard andshaped like a rectangle with curved ends, such as a semicircle. In someembodiments, the arms 611, 612 may be collapsed by pulling the garmentaway from the hanger 610 with sufficient force, or by applying anotherexternal force to the hanger arms 611, 612. The hanger arms 611, 612 maybe configured with a sufficient breakaway force which, when achieved,allow the arms 611, 612 to collapse with a lesser force. In someembodiments, the hanger arms 611, 612 may include one or more of acrease, a partial cut, and perforations to facilitate the collapse ofthe arms 611, 612. In one embodiment, the arms 611, 612 are integratedinto a single arm that that is collapsible.

In one embodiment, the hanger 610 may be hanging from a rod 636 in anautomated or semi-automated DTG vending kiosk. In alternativeembodiments, the hanger 610 may be used in a large personalizationfactory where conveyance of the hangers from location to location andstation to station may be performed by one or more of rails, slides,robotic arms, chains, conveyors, and other similar means. The arms 611,612 are disposed inside the T-shirt 605 and supporting the shoulders ofthe T-shirt 605. In response to receiving a personalization order, acontrol system 90 may cause a transfer system 18 to retrieve the T-shirt605 to be personalized. In one example, the T-shirt 605 is selected fromthe storage area 30 containing different T-shirts of different sizes,styles, color, and combinations thereof.

The transfer system 18 may retrieve the T-shirt 605 by pulling theT-shirt 605 off the hanger 610. In one embodiment, the transfer system18 includes one or more robotic arms having grippers for gripping theT-shirt 605. In one example, the robotic arm includes joints that allowa plurality of degrees of freedom, and soft grippers for grasping theT-shirt 605. The robotic arm may be used to grab the T-shirt 605 andeither place it on the platen of a DTG component, or pull it onto theplaten. In embodiments, the robotic arm grippers may be soft grippersthat may include an outer skin made of rubber or similar material. Insome embodiments, the grippers have fingers or claws that open and closevia electromechanical motors, or pneumatic motors. An exemplaryembodiment of the robotic arm is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,161,353,which patent, including at least column 15, line 29 to column 15, line64, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The two grippers grip the shoulders of the T-shirt 605 and pull theT-shirt 605 away from the hanger 610. The pull force causes the hangingarms 611, 612 to collapse, thereby allowing removal of the hanging arms611, 612 via the neck opening of the T-shirt 605. In some embodiments,the hanger arms 611, 612 are made of cardboard that fold and/or tear inresponse to the pull force. The grippers of the transfer system 18function as the tensioner to keep the T-shirt 605 taut during the DTGprocess. In some embodiments, the grippers also function as theregistration feature to ensure proper positioning of the T-shirt 605during DTG process. In this respect, the grippers may grip predeterminedlocations of the T-shirt 605 on the hanger 610 and maintain that grippedlocation throughout the DTG process. In some embodiments, additionalgrippers are used to grip other portions of the T-shirt 605. Forexample, two additional gripper are used to grip the left and rightlower portions of the T-shirt 650. The four grippers cooperate to keepthe printable area in a taut configuration.

The T-shirt 605 may be transferred by the transfer system 18 througheach system component. In one example, the T-shirt 605 is transferredinitially to the preparation system 16A, which the T-shirt 605 is heatpressed. Then the T-shirt 605 is transferred to the pretreatment system16B. The pretreatment system 16B applies a pretreatment solution to anentire side of the T-shirt 605 to be DTG printed on or may only applypretreatment solution to a portion to be printed on according to thepersonalization order. In some embodiments, the grippers position theT-shirt 605 in proper alignment with the pretreatment system 16B andapply tension to keep the T-shirt 605 taut. Pretreating the article 605may facilitate the bonding of the ink from the DTG printer to theT-shirt 605. Thereafter, the T-shirt 605 may be transferred to thepreparation system 16A or the dryer of the curing system 16D. In someembodiments, the pretreatment system 16B has its own dryer, and theT-shirt 605 is transferred to the pretreatment dryer. In a WET-ON-WETprocess, the T-shirt 605 may bypass the dryer 16D and transferred to theDTG printer 16C.

After pretreatment and drying, the printing area of the T-shirt 605 maybe flat and wrinkle free and ready for print. The robotic arms of thetransfer system 18 removes the T-shirt 605 from the dryer 16D andtransfers the T-shirt 605 to the DTG printer 16C. The T-shirt 605 may beplaced on a platen of the DTG printer 16C. In some embodiments, a coverhaving a window for the printable area may be used to secure the T-shirt605 is place. The DTG printer 16C digitally prints the T-shirt 605according to the personalized order. After printing, the T-shirt 605 istransferred to a dryer 16D, and the T-shirt 605 is heated to cure theink. The T-shirt 605 is retrieved from the dryer 16D and delivered tothe window of the kiosk for pickup by the user. In one embodiment, theT-shirt 605 is folded and/or placed in a container, such as a box orbag, prior to delivery to the user.

Seventh Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 12A-12B illustrates another embodiment of a packaging 701 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. The packaging 701 includes astiffener 710 disposed inside the article 705. In the example as shown,the article 705 is a T-shirt. FIG. 12A is a front view of the article705 assembled with the stiffener 710, and FIG. 12B is a back view of thearticle 705 and the stiffener 710. The article 705 and the packaging 701may be referred to as a packaged article. It is contemplated the frontand/or the back of the article 705 may be personalized.

In FIGS. 12A-B, the stiffener 710 includes a support body 711 and ahandle 712. The stiffener 710 provides support for the article 705 and aflat surface for the DTG printing process. In one embodiment, thesupport body 711 includes a flat surface and is disposed inside thearticle 705. The portions of the article 705 beyond the stiffener 710may be folded around the edges of the stiffener 710. In anotherembodiment, the article 705 is wrapped around the stiffener 710, insteadof being disposed therein. In some embodiments, the folded portions areheld together using a retainer 720, such as a clip. Other exemplaryretainers 720 include tapes, adhesive, and other suitable retainers. Inthe embodiment as shown, the clip remains below the printing area of thearticle 705 while securing the folded portions. In this respect, thefastener 720 does not obstruct the printing area. In some embodiments,the stiffener 710 may be configured to collapse to facilitate loading orunloading of an article. For example, the stiffener 710 may include oneor more of a crease, a partial cut, and perforations to facilitate thecollapse of the stiffener 710. In one example, the stiffener 710 has oneor more creases disposed vertical on the support body 711. The creasesallow the stiffener 710 to adjust to the size of the article 705 andkeep it taut during the DTG process.

The handle 712 may protrude through the neck opening of the article 705.As shown, the handle 712 has a U-shape and is attached to the supportbody 711 at two locations. It is contemplated the handle 712 may attachto the support body 711 at one or more locations. For example, thehandle 712 can be attached to the support body 711 at a single location.In yet another example, the handle 712 has a T-shape. In someembodiments, the handle 712 includes a curved shape, such as a hook. Forexample, the handle 712 has a hook and is attached to the support body711 at a single location. In some embodiments, the hook includes a holeor suitable attachment devices for coupling to a rail or conveyancemechanisms. In some embodiments, the support body 711 includes angledsides to accommodate the shoulder portions of the article 705.

The minimal material used to make the packaging 701 may expose themaximum area for printing. In this example, the entire surface of thearticle 705 on the stiffener 710 may be used as the printing area. Insome embodiments, the printable area may extend to at least one edge ofthe stiffener 710, for example, two, three, or four edges. The minimalpackaging is more friendly to the environment by conserving resourcesand reducing waste. Also, the packaging occupies less storage space,thereby allowing more inventory to be stored in a confined space, suchas a kiosk. The minimal packaging may increase efficiency and reducecosts by reducing packaging efforts and packaging costs. The packagingmay reduce the manipulation of the packaging as the article movesthrough the kiosk. For example, the smaller packaging can be more easilyhandled by the transfer system 18 or accommodated within thepersonalization system 16, such as the DTG printer 16C and thepretreatment system 16B. In some embodiments, the packaging also servesas the retail packaging that is delivered to the user.

Embodiments of the stiffener 710 may be made from one or more of:cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood, and composites.In one embodiment, the stiffener 710 is made of cardboard and has arectangular shape. The stiffener 710 may have any shape suitable for theDTG printer. The stiffener 710 may have any size that is suitable forthe DTG printer. For example, the stiffener 710 can have a width from 5in. to 20 in., a length from 5 in. to 20 in., and a thickness from 0.002in. to 1 in. The article 705 assembled with the packaging 701 provides athin profile allows more inventory to be stored in a confined space,such as a kiosk. In some embodiments, the article 705 and the stiffener710 has an overall thickness from 0.01 inches to 3 inches or from 0.1inches to 1 inch. In some embodiments, the packaged article 705Pincluding may be stacked on top of each other or hung next to eachother. In one embodiment, the packaged article 705P may be hanging froma rod in an automated or semi-automated DTG vending kiosk. Inalternative embodiments, the packaging 710 may be used in a largepersonalization factory where conveyance of the hangers from location tolocation and station to station may be performed by one or more ofrails, slides, robotic arms, chains, conveyors, and other similar means.

In some embodiments, the packaging 701 may include identification (“ID”)tags that help identify the article in the packaging, communicate withcontrol system, provide for “Internet of Things” operation, and remoteoperation by allowing each packaged article to be tracked andinventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configured tocommunicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations of thetransfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 701, such as the support body 711 and thehandle 712 of the stiffener 710.

In one embodiment, a packaged article 705P is stored in a storage area30 of a kiosk. In this example, the article 705 is a T-shirt. Inresponse to receiving a personalization order, a control system 90 maycause a transfer system 18 to retrieve the T-shirt 705 to bepersonalized. In one example, the T-shirt 705 is selected from thestorage area 30 containing different T-shirts of different sizes,styles, color, and combinations thereof.

The transfer system 18 retrieves the selected packaged article 705P andtransfers the packaged article 705P through the system components. Therobotic arm of the transfer system 18 may retain the packaged article705P by gripping the handle 712 of the packaging 701. In one example,the packaged article 705P is transferred initially to the preparationsystem 16A, wherein the article 705 may be heat pressed. The packagedarticle 705P is then transferred to the pretreatment system 16B. Thepretreatment system 16B applies a pretreatment solution to an entireside of the article 705 to be DTG printed on or only apply pretreatmentsolution to a portion of the article 705 to be printed on according tothe personalization order. In some embodiments, the transfer system 18uses a portion of the stiffener 710, such as the handle 712, as aregistration feature to position the T-shirt 705 in proper alignmentwith the pretreatment system 16B. Pretreating the article 705 mayfacilitate the bonding of the ink from the DTG printer to the T-shirt705. Thereafter, the T-shirt 705 may be transferred to the dryer 16D. Insome embodiments, the pretreatment system 16B has its own dryer, and theT-shirt 705 is transferred to the pretreatment dryer. In a WET-ON-WETprocess, the T-shirt 705 may bypass the dryer 16D and transferred to theDTG printer 16C.

After pretreatment and drying, the printing area of the T-shirt 705 maybe flat and wrinkle free and ready for print. The robotic arm of thetransfer system 18 removes the T-shirt 705 from the dryer 16D andtransfers the T-shirt 705 to the DTG printer 16C. The T-shirt 605 may beplaced on a platen of the DTG printer 16C. In some embodiments, theprinting surface of the article 705 is positioned at a distance from 1mm to 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printing head of the DTGprinter 16C. In some embodiments, a cover having a window for theprintable area may be used to secure the T-shirt 705 in place. The DTGprinter 16C digitally prints the T-shirt 705 according to thepersonalized order. After printing, the T-shirt 705 is transferred to adryer 16D, and the T-shirt 705 is heated to cure the ink. The T-shirt705 is retrieved from the dryer 16D and delivered to the window of thekiosk for pickup by the user. In one embodiment, the user may pick upthe T-shirt 705 by grabbing the handle 712 of the packaging 701.

Eighth Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate another embodiment of a packaging 801 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. The packaging 801 includes ahanger 810 for supporting an article. FIG. 13 illustrates the hanger 810disposed in the article, such as a T-shirt 805. FIG. 14 illustrates anexemplary container 840 for housing the hanger 810 and the T-shirt 805,and FIG. 15 illustrates the T-shirt 805 and the hanger 810 disposed inthe container 840.

In some embodiments, the hanger 810 includes a first hanging arm 811connected to a second hanging arm 812. For example, the first and secondarms 811, 812 may be hinged at respective ends to form a pivot pointabout which the arms 811, 812 can pivot relative to each other. Thedegree of rotation is sufficient to allow a garment disposed on thehanger 810 to be removed from the hanger 810 by pivoting the arms 811,812 closer to each other. In an embodiment, the arms 811, 812 have astraight portion that has a flat or round profile. In one embodiment, atleast one of the arms 811, 812 includes an upset 813. The upset 813 maybe protrude out of a neck opening of the article 805. In someembodiments, the first and second arms 811, 812 are pivotable relativeto each other. In some embodiments, a biasing member such as a spring isused to bias the first arm 811 and the second arm 812 between anextended position and a retracted position. Embodiments of the first andsecond arms 811, 812 may be made from one or more of: cardboard, paper,plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood, and composites. For example, thehanger 810 may be made from cardboard or plastic. The arms 811, 812 mayformed a small angle therebetween; for example, the angle may be from150° to 210° or from 165° to 205°. In some embodiments, the first andsecond arms 811, 812 are collapsible. In some embodiments, the arms 811,812 may be configured to collapse to facilitate loading or unloading ofan article. For example, the arms 811, 812 may include one or more of acrease, a partial cut, and perforations to facilitate the collapse ofthe arms 811, 812. In some embodiments, the arms 811, 812 are configuredto collapse in response to a pull force. For example, the arms 811, 812may be collapsed by pulling the garment away from the hanger 810 withsufficient force, or by applying another external force to the hangerarms 811, 812. In one embodiment, the arms 811, 812 are integrated intoa single arm that is collapsible. In some embodiments, the creases allowthe arms 811, 812 to adjust to the size of the article 805 and keep ittaut during the DTG process.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the arms 811, 812 of the hanger 810 are disposedinside the T-shirt 805 and supporting the shoulders of the T-shirt 805.The arms 811, 812 may form a straight line or have a small angletherebetween, so long as the arms 811, 812 can fit into the container840.

In some embodiments, the packaging 801 includes a bottom support member850. The bottom support member 850 may be a straight bar and have a flator round profile. The bottom support member 850 may be disposed insidethe T-shirt 805 at or near the bottom portion of the T-shirt 805. FIG.13 shows the bottom support member 850 disposed inside the T-shirt 805.

FIG. 15 shows the T-shirt 810, the hanger 810, and the bottom supportmember 850 rolled into a cylindrical configuration and disposed insidethe container 840, also referred as the packaged article 805P. In oneexample, the container 840 has a cylindrical shape for receiving therolled T-shirt 810. However, the container 840 may have a polygonalshape such as a rectangle or a hexagon. In some embodiments, the T-shirt805 is rolled together with only the hanger 810 or the bottom supportmember 850. In some embodiments, the T-shirt 810, the hanger 810, andoptionally, the bottom support member 850 may be folded and disposedinside the container 840.

In some embodiments, the packaging 801 may include identification (“ID”)tags that help identify the article in the packaging, communicate withcontrol system, provide for “Internet of Things” operation, and remoteoperation by allowing each packaged article to be tracked andinventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configured tocommunicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations of thetransfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 801, such as the hanger 810, the bottom supportmember 850, and the container 840.

Embodiments of the packaging 801 use minimal amounts of packagingmaterial. In this respect, the packaging is more friendly to theenvironment by conserving resources and reducing waste. Also, theminimal packaging occupies less storage space, thereby allowing moreinventory to be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk. Thepackaging may increase efficiency and reduce costs by reducing packagingefforts and packaging costs. The minimal packaging may reduce themanipulation of the packaging as the article moves through the kiosk.For example, the smaller packaging can be more easily handled by thetransfer system 18 or accommodated within the personalization system 16,such as the DTG printer 16C and the pretreatment system 16B. In someembodiments, the packaging also serves as the retail packaging that isdelivered to the user.

In one embodiment, the packaged article 805P is stored in a storage area30 of a kiosk. In this example, the article is a T-shirt 805. Inresponse to receiving a personalization order, a control system 90 maycause a transfer system 18 to retrieve the T-shirt 805 to bepersonalized. In one example, the T-shirt 805 is selected from thestorage area 30 containing different T-shirts of different sizes,styles, color, and combinations thereof.

The transfer system 18 may retrieve the packaged article 805P using oneor more robotic arms. In one embodiment, the container 850 is insertedinto a chute and transferred to the article personalization system 16.One of the robotic arms removes the T-shirt 805 from the container 850.The robotic arms may have grippers for gripping the T-shirt 805. Afterremoval from the container 850, the grippers unroll the T-shirt 805 intoa flat configuration. In this example, the T-shirt 805 was rolledtogether with only the hanger 810 during pre-packaging. Two grippersgrip the shoulders of the T-shirt 805 and the hanger 810 inside theshoulders. After unrolling, the robotic arm may either place the T-shirt805 on the platen of a DTG component, or pull the T-shirt 805 onto theplaten. The grippers of the transfer system 18 may function as atensioner to keep the T-shirt 805 taut during the DTG process. In someembodiments, the hanger 810 or the grippers also function as theregistration feature to ensure proper positioning of the T-shirt 805during the DTG process. In this respect, the grippers may grippredetermined locations of the hanger 810 and the T-shirt 805 andmaintain that gripped location throughout the DTG process. In someembodiments, additional grippers are used to grip other portions of theT-shirt 805. For example, if a bottom support member 850 is used, twoadditional grippers may grip the left and right lower portions of theT-shirt 805 and the bottom support member 850. In this example, the fourgrippers cooperate to keep the printable area of the T-shirt 805 in ataut configuration.

The T-shirt 805 may be transferred by the transfer system 18 througheach DTG system component. In one example, the T-shirt 805 may betransferred initially to the preparation system 16A, wherein the T-shirt805 may be heat pressed. The T-shirt 805 may then be transferred to thepretreatment system 16B. The pretreatment system 16B may apply apretreatment solution to an entire side of T-shirt 805 to be DTG printedon or may only apply pretreatment solution to a portion of the T-shirt805 to be printed on according to the personalization order. In someembodiments, the grippers position the T-shirt 805 in proper alignmentwith the pretreatment system 16B and apply tension to keep the T-shirt805 taut. Pretreating the article 101 may facilitate the bonding of theink from the DTG printer to the T-shirt 805. Thereafter, the T-shirt 805may be transferred to the preparation system 16A or the dryer 16D. Insome embodiments, the pretreatment system 16B has its own dryer, and theT-shirt 805 is transferred to the pretreatment dryer. In a WET-ON-WETprocess, the T-shirt 805 may bypass the dryer 16D and transferred to theDTG printer 16C.

After pretreatment and drying, the printing area of the T-shirt 805 maybe flat and wrinkle free and ready for print. The robotic arms of thetransfer system 18 removes the T-shirt 805 from the dryer 16D andtransfers the T-shirt 805 to the DTG printer 16C. The T-shirt 805 may beplaced on a platen of the DTG printer 16C. In some embodiments, theprinting surface of the article 805 is positioned at a distance from 1mm to 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printing head of the DTGprinter 16C. In some embodiments, a cover having a window for theprintable area may be used to secure the T-shirt 805 is place. The DTGprinter 16C digitally prints a graphic on the T-shirt 805 according tothe personalized order. After printing, the T-shirt 805 is transferredto the curing system 16D, and the T-shirt 805 is heated to cure the ink.The T-shirt 805 is retrieved from the curing system 16D and delivered tothe window of the kiosk for pickup by the user. In one embodiment, thehanger 810 is removed and the T-shirt 805 is rolled or folded and placedin the container 850, or another suitable container such as a box orbag, prior to delivery to the user.

Ninth Packaging Embodiment

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of a packaging 901 suitable forretaining an article for customization. The packaging 901 includes ahanger 910 for supporting the article, such as a T-shirt 905. FIG. 17illustrates the hanger 910 and the T-shirt having a printable areadisposed on a platen. FIG. 18 illustrates a securing ring 955 disposedon the T-shirt 905.

In some embodiments, the hanger 910 includes a hanging arm 915 having anupset 913. The hanging arm 915 may be straight and has a flat or roundprofile. The upset 913 may protrude out of a neck opening of the article905. In some embodiments, the hanging arm 915 includes two or more armportions coupled each other. In some embodiments, the hanging arm 915 isconfigured to collapse in response to a pull force. In some embodiments,the hanging arm 915 may include one or more of a crease, a partial cut,and perforations to facilitate the collapse of the hanging arm 915.Embodiments of the hanger 910 may be made from one or more of:cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers, metal, glass, wood, and composites.For example, the hanger 910 may be made from cardboard or plastic. Theupset 913 may have any suitable shape such as rectangular, arcuate, or ahandle.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the ends of the hanging arm 915 are disposedinside the T-shirt 905 and supporting the shoulders of the T-shirt 905.The upset 913 of the hanger 910 protrudes out of the neck opening of theT-shirt 905. In some embodiments, the hanging arm 915 may have a widthfrom 5 in. to 20 in. and a length from 1 in. to 6 in. or from 1 in. to 4in. The T-shirt 910 and the hanger 910 are rolled into a cylindricalconfiguration. In one example, the T-shirt 905 is rolled upwards fromthe bottom toward the neck opening. In some embodiments, the T-shirt 910may be folded instead of rolled. In some embodiments, one or moreretainers 920 are used to secure the T-shirt 905 in the rolledconfiguration. For example, ties can be placed around each side of thehanging arm 915. Other exemplary retainers 920 include a clip, a tape,adhesive, rubber band, or other suitable retainers. The retainers 920may be made from one or more of: cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers,metal, glass, wood, and composites. In one example, the hanger 910 andthe ties 920 are made from the same material, such as cardboard orplastic. The rolled configuration of the article 905 may allow moreinventory to be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk.

In some embodiments, the packaging 901 may include identification (“ID”)tags that help identify the article in the packaging 901, communicatewith control system 90, provide for “Internet of Things” operation, andremote operation by allowing each packaged article to be tracked andinventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configured tocommunicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations of thetransfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 901, such as the hanging arm 915 and the upset913 of the hanger 910.

Embodiments of the packaging 901 use minimal amounts of packagingmaterial. In this respect, the packaging is more friendly to theenvironment by conserving resources and reducing waste. Also, theminimal packaging occupies less storage space, thereby allowing moreinventory to be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk. Thepackaging may increase efficiency and reduce costs by reducing packagingefforts and packaging costs. The minimal packaging may reduce themanipulation of the packaging as the article moves through the kiosk.For example, the smaller packaging can be more easily handled by thetransfer system 18 or accommodated within the personalization system 16,such as the DTG printer 16C and the pretreatment system 16B. In someembodiments, the packaging also serves as the retail packaging that isdelivered to the user.

In one embodiment, a packaged article 905P is stored in a rolledconfiguration 905 in a storage area 30 of a kiosk. In this example, thearticle is a T-shirt 905. In response to receiving a personalizationorder, a control system 90 may cause a transfer system 18 to retrievethe packaged article 905P to be personalized. In one example, thepackaged article 905P is selected from the storage area 30 containingpackaged articles of different T-shirts of different sizes, styles,color, and combinations thereof.

The transfer system 18 may retrieve the packaged article 905P containingthe selected T-shirt 905 using one or more robotic arms. The roboticarms may have grippers for gripping the T-shirt 905. The grippers mayremove the retainer 920, such as ties, and unroll the T-shirt 905 into aflat configuration. Two grippers grip the left and right sides of theT-shirt 905 and the hanger 910 inside the T-shirt 905. After unrolling,the robotic arm may either place the T-shirt 905 on the platen of a DTGcomponent, or pull the T-shirt 905 onto the platen. The grippers of thetransfer system 18 may function as a tensioner to keep the T-shirt 905taut during the DTG process. In some embodiments, the hanger 910 or thegrippers also function as the registration feature to ensure properpositioning of the T-shirt 905 during DTG process. In this respect, thegrippers may grip predetermined locations on the hanger 910 and theT-shirt 905 and maintain that gripped location throughout the DTGprocess. In some embodiments, additional grippers are used to grip otherportions of the T-shirt 905. For example, two additional gripper maygrip the left and right lower portions of the T-shirt 905. In thisexample, the four grippers cooperate to keep the printable area of theT-shirt 905 in a taut configuration.

The T-shirt 905 may be transferred by the transfer system 18 througheach DTG system component. In one example, the T-shirt 905 istransferred initially to the preparation system 16A, wherein the T-shirt905 may be heat pressed. The T-shirt 905 may then be transferred to thepretreatment system 16B. The pretreatment system 16B may apply apretreatment solution to an entire side of T-shirt 905 to be DTG printedon or may only apply pretreatment solution to a portion of the T-shirt905 to be printed on according to the personalization order. In someembodiments, the grippers position the T-shirt 905 in proper alignmentwith the pretreatment system 16B and apply tension to keep the T-shirt905 taut. Pretreating the T-shirt 905 may facilitate the bonding of theink from the DTG printer 16C to the T-shirt 905. Thereafter, the T-shirt905 may be transferred to the preparation system 16A or the dryer 16D.In some embodiments, the pretreatment system 16B has its own dryer, andthe T-shirt 905 is transferred to the pretreatment dryer. In aWET-ON-WET process, the T-shirt 905 may bypass the dryer 16D andtransferred to the DTG printer 16C.

After pretreatment and drying, the printable area of the T-shirt 905 maybe flat and wrinkle free and ready for print. The robotic arms of thetransfer system 18 removes the T-shirt 905 from the dryer 16D andtransfers the T-shirt 905 to the DTG printer 16C. The T-shirt 905 may beplaced on a platen of the DTG printer 16C, as shown in FIG. 17 . In someembodiments, the printing surface of the article 905 is positioned at adistance from 1 mm to 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printinghead of the DTG printer 16C. In some embodiments, a cover 955 having aprint-access window for the printable area may be used to secure theT-shirt 905 in place, as shown in FIG. 18 . The DTG printer 16Cdigitally prints a graphic on the T-shirt 905 according to thepersonalized order. After printing, the T-shirt 905 is transferred to adryer 16D, and the T-shirt 905 is heated to cure the ink. The T-shirt905 is retrieved from the dryer 16D and delivered to the window of thekiosk for pickup by the user. In one embodiment, the printed T-shirt 905is rolled with the hanger 910 and secured using a retainer such as ties,prior to delivery to the user.

Tenth Packaging Embodiment

FIGS. 19-20 illustrate another embodiment of a packaging 1001 suitablefor retaining an article for customization. In one embodiment, thepackaging 1001 includes a hanger frame 1010. FIG. 19 illustrates thehanger frame 1010 in an expanded position and disposed inside anarticle, such as a T-shirt 1005. FIG. 20 illustrates the hanger frame1010 in a retracted position.

In some embodiments, the frame 1010 comprises a body configured tosupport the article. As shown in FIG. 19 , the body includes a leftjoint 1011 and a right joint 1012 pivotally coupled to a plurality ofexpansion joints 1013. The left and right joints 1011, 1012 include abody portion 1021, 1022 and a neck portion 1031, 1032. As shown, a bendcouples the neck portions 1031, 1032 to the body portions 1021, 1022.The body portions 1021, 1022 extend along the length of the T-shirt1005, and the neck portions 1031, 1032 extend along the shoulder portionof the T-shirt 1005. For example, the neck portion 1031 of the leftjoint 1011 is angled toward the right joint 1012, and the neck portion1032 of the right joint 1012 is angled toward the left joint 1011. Inthis example, the ends of the neck portions 1031, 1032 of the left andright joints 1011, 1012 face each other and are separated by a gap. Theend of the neck portion 1031 of the left joint 1011 or the right joint1012 may optionally include a hook feature 1047. In some embodiments,one or more of the joints 1011, 1012, 1013 can be wires, rods, or othersuitable joints. In one example, each of the left and right joints 1011,1012 are made from a wire having a bend between the body portion 1021,1022 and the neck portion 1031, 1032. In another example, the bodyportion 1021, 1022 and the neck portion 1031, 1032 can be two portionsthat are connected together.

The lower ends of the left and the right joints 1011, 1012 are connectedto one end of the two expansion joints 1013. The other ends of the twoexpansion joints 1013 are pivotally connected to each other, therebylinking the left and right joints 1011, 1012. During expansion, theexpansion joints 1013 pushes the left and right joints 1011, 1012 awayfrom each other. As shown in FIG. 19 , the left and right joints 1011,1012 expand along a width of the T-shirt 1005. Expansion of the left andright joints 1011, 1012 may expand the T-shirt 1005 to a taut positionfor printing. The printable area of the T-shirt 1005 is located betweenthe left and right joints 1011, 1012 in the expanded position. Toretract the frame 1010, the expansion joints 1013 are pivoted inwardlyto move the left and right joints 1011, 1012 closer to each other, asshown in FIG. 20 . In some embodiments, a bias member such as a springis used to bias the frame 1010 between the extended position and theretracted position. In the retracted position, the neck portions 1031,1032 may overlap. In one example, the neck portion of the right joint1012 may slide under the hook feature 1047 of the left joint 1011. Theretracted position of the frame 1010 may facilitate insertion or removalof the frame 1010 from the T-shirt 1005. In alternative embodiments, theexpansion joints 1013 extend or retract in a telescoping manner, suchthat during retraction, one expansion joint 1013 slides into a hollowportion of the other expansion joint 1013. In alternative embodiments,the expansion joints 1013 extend or retract by sliding past one anotherto collapse into a shorter overall length, thereby facilitating thedressing or undressing of a garment onto the frame 1010. In thesearrangements, an optional lock mechanism (not shown) may be used to lockthe expansion joints 1013 in the extended or retracted position, such asat the maximum length. In one embodiment, one end of one joint 1013 isabutted against an end of the other joint 10130. In alternativeembodiments, the pivot coupling may be capable of being locked into oneor more positions to lock one joint 1013 at desired fixed angle withrespect to the other joint 1013. For example, the pivot coupling maylock at 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees, 150 degrees or180 degrees. The various joints 1011, 1012, 1013 and the coupling pivotconnecting the joints 1011, 1012, 1013 may be adjusted according to thearticle 1005 size and whether the frame 1010 is kept in a taut settingready for printing, or in a collapsed or reduced size setting ready fordressing the article onto the frame 1010.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the frame 1010 extends below the bottom of theT-shirt 1005. However, it is contemplated the bottom of the frame 1010may be disposed inside the T-shirt 1005. For example, the length of theframe 1010 can be shortened in instances where the printable area issmall. A smaller frame 1010 may allow more inventory to be stored in aconfined space, such as a kiosk. In some embodiments, the frame 1010 mayhave the same length for all of the sizes, which may result in thebottom of the frame 1010 being below or inside the T-shirt 1005,depending on the size of the T-shirt 1005. Embodiments of the frame 1010may be made from one or more of: cardboard, paper, plastic, rubbers,metal, glass, wood, and composites. In one example, the frame 101 is atleast partially made of metal wires. In another example, the frame 1010is at least partially made of plastic, such as a thermoplastic polymer.

In some embodiments, the packaging 1001 may include identification(“ID”) tags that help identify the article in the packaging 1001,communicate with control system 90, provide for “Internet of Things”operation, and remote operation by allowing each packaged article to betracked and inventoried within the kiosk 10. The ID tags are configuredto communicate with the control system 90 to facilitate operations ofthe transfer system 18, the article retrieval system 14, and thepersonalization system 16. For example, the ID tag allows multiplepackaged articles to be tracked within the personalization system 16 asthe packaged articles move from component to component. Exemplary IDtags include radio frequency ID tags (“RFID”) and near-fieldcommunication (“NFC”) tags. The ID tag may be disposed on any suitableportion of the packaging 1001, such as the left and right joints 1011,1012 and the plurality of expansion joints 1013.

Embodiments of the packaging 1001 use minimal amounts of packagingmaterial. In some embodiments, the packaging 1001 is reloadable andreusable. In this respect, the packaging is more friendly to theenvironment by conserving resources and reducing waste. Also, theminimal packaging occupies less storage space, thereby allowing moreinventory to be stored in a confined space, such as a kiosk. Thepackaging may increase efficiency and reduce costs by reducing packagingefforts and packaging costs. The minimal packaging may reduce themanipulation of the packaging as the article moves through the kiosk.For example, the smaller packaging can be more easily handled by thetransfer system 18 or accommodated within the personalization system 16,such as the DTG printer 16C and the pretreatment system 16B.

In one embodiment, the frame 1010 may be hanging from a rod in a storagearea 30 of a kiosk. The frame 1010 is at least partially disposed insidethe T-shirt 1005 and supporting the T-shirt 1005. In some embodiments,the frame 1010 is stacked on or next to another frame 1010 in thestorage area 30. The frame 1010 may be pre-assembled with an articlesuch as a T-shirt 1005. In response to receiving a personalizationorder, a control system 90 may cause a transfer system 18 to retrievethe T-shirt 1005 to be personalized. In one example, the T-shirt 1005 isselected from the storage area 30 containing different T-shirts ofdifferent sizes, styles, color, and combinations thereof.

The transfer system 18 may retrieve the T-shirt 1005 by removing theframe 1010 from the hanging rod. In one embodiment, the transfer system18 includes one or more robotic arms having grippers for gripping theT-shirt 1005 and the frame 1010. In one example, the robotic armincludes joints that allow a plurality of degrees of freedom, and one ormore grippers for grasping the T-shirt 1005 and the frame 1010. Therobotic arm may grab the T-shirt 1005 and either place it on the platenof a DTG component, or pull it onto the platen. In embodiments, therobotic arm grippers may be soft grippers that may include an outer skinmade of rubber or similar material. In some embodiments, the grippershave fingers or claws that open and close via electromechanical motors,or pneumatic motors.

Two grippers grip the shoulder of the T-shirt 1005 and remove theT-shirt 1005 and the frame 1010 away from the hanging rod. In anotherembodiment, the robotic arm uses a single gripper to grip the T-shirt1005. Because the frame 1010 is expanded, the frame 1010 maintains theT-shirt 1005 in a taut configuration during the DTG process. In someembodiments, the hanger 1010 or the grippers also function as theregistration feature to ensure proper positioning of the T-shirt 1005during DTG process. In this respect, the grippers may grip apredetermined location on the hanger 1010 and the T-shirt 1005 andmaintain that gripped location throughout the DTG process. In someembodiments, one or more grippers are used to grip other portions of theT-shirt 1005. For example, an additional gripper may grip a lowerportion of the T-shirt 1005. In this example, the grippers cooperate tomaintain control of the T-shirt 1005 during transfer, pretreatment,printing, or other DTG operations. In some embodiments, the transfersystem 18 may use a combination of one or more of: robotic arms,actuators, grippers, platens, conveyor belts (horizontal, vertical,curved and/or angled), railed vehicles, trackless vehicles, and similarconveying means to transfer the article throughout the DTG process. Insome embodiments, the frame 1010 may be used in a large personalizationfactory where conveyance of the packaging from a location, component, orstation to another location, component, or station may be performed byone or more of rails, slides, robotic arms, chains, conveyors, and othersimilar means.

The T-shirt 1005 may be transferred by the transfer system 18 througheach DTG system component. In some embodiments, the T-shirt 1005 isplaced on a track or other suitable conveying device. In one example,the T-shirt 1005 is transferred initially to the preparation system 16A,wherein the T-shirt 1005 may be heat pressed. The T-shirt 1005 may thenbe transferred to the pretreatment system 16B. The pretreatment system16B may apply a pretreatment solution to an entire side of T-shirt 1005to be DTG printed on or may only apply pretreatment solution to aportion of the T-shirt 1005 to be printed on according to thepersonalization order. In some embodiments, the grippers position theT-shirt 1005 in proper alignment with the pretreatment system 16B.Pretreating the T-shirt 905 may facilitate the bonding of the ink fromthe DTG printer 16C to the T-shirt 1005. Thereafter, the T-shirt 1005may be transferred to the preparation system 16A or the dryer 16D. Insome embodiments, the pretreatment system 16B has its own dryer, and theT-shirt 1005 is transferred to the pretreatment dryer. In a WET-ON-WETprocess, the T-shirt 1005 may bypass the dryer 16D and transferred tothe DTG printer 16C.

After pretreatment and drying, the printing area of the T-shirt 1005 maybe flat and wrinkle free and ready for print. The robotic arms of thetransfer system 18 removes the T-shirt 1005 from the dryer 16D andtransfers the T-shirt 1005 to the DTG printer 16C. In some embodiments,the printing surface of the article 1005 is positioned at a distancefrom 1 mm to 20 mm or from 2 to 10 mm away from the printing head of theDTG printer 16C. The T-shirt 1005 may be placed on a platen of the DTGprinter 16C. The DTG printer 16C digitally prints a graphic on theT-shirt 1005 according to the personalized order. After printing, theT-shirt 1005 is transferred to a dryer 16D, and the T-shirt 1005 isheated to cure the ink. The T-shirt 1005 is retrieved from the dryer 16Dand delivered to the window of the kiosk for pickup by the user. In oneembodiment, the printed T-shirt 1005 is removed from the frame 1010prior to delivery to the user.

Although a box is disclosed in several embodiments, it is contemplatedthat any of the packaging 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 701, 801 disclosedherein may have any suitable shape, such as a triangle, pentagon,hexagon, octagon, and other suitable polygonal shapes; arcuate shapessuch as circle and ellipse; and other suitable symmetrical orasymmetrical shapes.

It is contemplated features disclosed in one packaging embodiment 101,201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901, 1001 may be suitably used withany other packaging embodiments 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801,901, 1001 disclosed herein. For example, the retainers 920 may be usedto secure the article 801 to the hanger 810, and use of the container850 may be optional. In another example, the stepped stiffener 310 ofFIG. 7B may be used with the packaging 101 of FIG. 2A. In yet anotherembodiment, the packaging embodiments 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701,801, 901, 1001 may be suitably used with any personalization process orsystem disclosed herein. For example, the pretreatment step or printingstep disclosed in one packaging embodiment 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601,701, 801, 901, 1001 may be used with another packaging embodiment 101,201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901, 1001. In one example, theWET_ON_WET process steps disclosed with personalizing packaging 101 andarticle 105 may be used with another packaging embodiment 201, 301, 401,501, 601, 701, 801, 901, 1001 disclosed herein.

In alternative embodiments, the packaging embodiments 101, 201, 301,401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901, 1001 disclosed herein may be used in alarge personalization factory where conveyance of the packaging from alocation, component, or station to another location, component, orstation may be performed by one or more of rails, slides, robotic arms,chains, conveyors, and other similar means.

While the above examples pertained to kiosk for personalization of anarticle including embroidering and DTG, the same systems and methods maybe used to personalize an article with other techniques, such as, butnot limited to a combination of one or more of embroidery, dyesublimation, heat transfer printing processes, acid washing, and laseretching.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Orthogonal Robotic Retrieval System

FIGS. 21A and 21B depict trimetric views of an on-demand personalizationkiosk 2100, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 21Adepicts a top-front-right trimetric view of the on-demandpersonalization kiosk 2100 and FIG. 21B depicts a top-left-reartrimetric view of the on-demand personalization kiosk 2100.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2100 (referred to as the kiosk 2100)includes a housing 2102. An article retrieval system 2104, an articlepersonalization system 2106, and a transfer system 2108 are disposedwithin the housing 2102. The kiosk 2100 further includes a dispenser2110 and a control system 2190.

The article retrieval system 2104 includes a shelving system 2120 and amotion system 2140. The shelving system 2120 houses a plurality ofpackaged articles 2112 to be personalized by the kiosk 2100, and inparticular, by the article personalization system 2106. In the depictedembodiment, the packaged articles 2112 include the packaging 101 andarticle 105 discussed in relation to FIGS. 2-4 , although the kiosk 2100may be configured to use packaged articles having other packaging andarticles discussed herein, such as the packaging 201 and the article 205discussed in relation to FIGS. 5A and 5B, such as the packaging 301 andthe article 305 discussed in relation to FIGS. 6 and 7 , such as thepackaging 401 and article 405 discussed in relation to FIGS. 8A and 8B,such as the packaging 501 and article 505 discussed in relation to FIGS.9A-9C, such as the packaging 701 and article 705 discussed in relationto FIGS. 12A and 12B. The packaged articles 2112 are arranged in severalcolumns of the shelving system 2120. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS.21A and 21B, the columns of packaged articles 2112 are arranged in aline. In some embodiments, the columns may be arranged another formationsuch as an arc, or sides of a triangle, a rectangle, and the like.

The motion system 2140 is used to retrieve a packaged article 2112 ofthe packaged articles 2112 from the shelving system 2120. The motionsystem 2140 includes a first pair of rails 2142 having a first set oftracks 2144, a second pair of rails 2146 having a second set of tracks2148, and a carrier 2150, which is used to grasp the packaged articles2112. The first and second pair of rails 2142 and 2146 are channel beamsand the first and second set of tracks 2144 and 2148 are channels of thechannel beams.

The motion system 2140 moves the carrier 2150 in a first direction2114A, a second direction 2114B, and a third direction 2114C. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 21A, the second pair of rails 2146 movesalong the first set of tracks 2144 in the first direction 2114A and thecarrier 2150 moves along the second set of tracks 2148 in the seconddirection 2114B. The first pair of rails 2142 are coupled to the housing2102, such as to a ceiling, floor, or shelf of the housing 2102. Thesecond pair of rails 2146 are orthogonal to the first pair of rails 2142and the second direction 2114B is orthogonal to the first direction2114A. Thus, the first and second tracks 2144 and 2148 allow the carrier2150 to move in two independent directions to position the carrier 2150at a location to grasp a desired packaged article 2112 in the shelvingsystem 2120. The independent movement beneficially allows the carrier2150 to access locations at different heights (as shown on the page) ineach column of packaged articles 2112. The motion system 2140 includes afirst actuation system (e.g., a first actuation system 2156A in FIGS.21M and 21N) to move the second pair of rails 2146 on the first set oftracks 2144 and a second actuation system (e.g., a second actuationsystem 2152A in FIG. 21K) to move the carrier 2150 on the second set oftracks 2148.

Once at the location to grasp the desired packaged article 2112, thecarrier 2150 moves toward and away from the shelving system 2120 in athird direction 2114C to grasp the packaged article 2112, such asdiscussed in relation to FIGS. 21D-21G. The third direction 2114C isorthogonal to both the first and second directions 2112A and 2112B. Themotion system 2140 further includes a third actuation system (e.g, athird actuation system 2132 in FIG. 21F) to move the carrier 2150towards and away from the shelving system 2120.

The article personalization system 2106 includes a plurality of systemcomponents 2160 used to personalize the packaged articles 2112. Thesystem components 2160 may vary depending on how the packaged article2112 is to be personalized. The system components 2160 include anarticle preparation system 2160A, a pretreatment system 2160B, adirect-to-garment (DTG) printer 2160C, and a curing system 2160D. Thesystem components 2160 depicted in FIG. 21A are for illustrativepurposes and the actual system components 2160 may have any shape. Insome embodiments, the DTG printer 2160C does not include an outer shellor casing. The lack of casing or outer shell helps accommodate repairs,maintenance, restocking, automated loading and unloading, or manualloading and unloading by an operator or a user, for example, in asemi-manual embodiment of the kiosk 2100.

The article preparation system 2160A prepares the packaged articles 2112for processing, such as DTG printing. In the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 21A and 21B, the article preparation system 2160A is an ironingsystem or a heat press. The article preparation system 2160A prepares ato-be printed surface of the packaged articles 2112 by removing wrinklesfrom the packaged articles 2112, which may beneficially provide an evensurface for printing and reduce defects in the packaged articles 2112.

The pretreatment system 2160B prepares the packaged articles 2112 forprinting by applying a pretreatment solution. The pretreatment solutionprovides a base layer on which the DTG printer 2160C may print. Thepretreatment system 2160B may apply the pretreatment solution to anentire side of the packaged article 2112 to be customized or only to aportion to be printed on according to the personalization order. Forexample, if a personalization order indicated the printing area to be a4″×4″ area on the left front breast of a T-shirt, the pretreatmentsolution is only applied to that area, instead of a larger portion ofthe shirt, for example the entire front portion, or an area spanning theentire width of the shirt. After the pretreatment solution is applied,the article preparation system 2160A may be used to at least partiallycure the pretreatment solution. In some embodiments, the ironing systemor heat press may hover over the packaged article 2112 until thepretreatment solution is cured to the desired amount.

The DTG printer 2160C is used to print an image or design on thepackaged articles 2112. The image may be colored, black and white, orgreyscale. For example, the DTG printer 2160C may print a graphicselected by a user as discussed in relation to FIGS. 29-75 . If apretreatment solution was applied to the packaged articles 2112, thenthe DTG printer 2160C prints over at least a portion of the pretreatmentsolution. The image or design printed on the packaged article 2112 maybe wet after printing and require additional processing.

The curing system 2160D cures or dries the printed image or design onthe packaged articles 2112. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 21A and21B, the curing system 2160D dries the packaged articles 2112 byapplying a pressure and temperature using a heat plate. Once the imageor design is cured, the packaged article 2112 may be presented to theuser, such as through the dispenser 2110. If the user approves, thedispenser 2110 dispenses the personalized packaged articles 2112. If theuser does not approve, the dispenser 2110 moves the rejected packagedarticle 2112 to a storage system 2111 to be later evaluated by anoperator.

The transfer system 2108 transfers the packaged articles 2112to/from/between the system components 2160 for processing. The transfersystem 2108 also transfers the packaged article 2112 from the systemcomponents 2160 to the dispenser 2110. In the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 21A and 21B, the transfer system is the motion system 2140. Oncethe carrier 2150 retrieves the packaged article 2112 from the shelvingsystem 2120, the carrier 2150 moves along the first and second set oftracks 2144 and 2148 to a location where the carrier 2150 can access thesystem components 2160. For example, the carrier 2150 may move to alocation below the shelving system 2120 (as shown on the page) andextend underneath the shelving system 2120 to transfer the packagedarticle 2112 to the article preparation system 2160A.

The control system 2190 controls the kiosk 2100. In particular, thecontrol system 2190 controls the motion and transfer systems 2140 and2108. For example, in response to receiving user input of apersonalization order, the control system 2190 may determineinstructions for the motion system 2140 to retrieve the packagedarticles 2112 from the shelving system 2120, and for the transfer system2108 to transfer the packaged articles 2112 to and from the systemcomponents 2160.

The control system 2190 may be connected to one or more, including all,of the system components 2160 of the article personalization system 2106in order to automate processes of the kiosk 2100. For example, thecontrol system 2190 may cause the transfer system 2108 to transfer thepackaged article 2112 from the motion system 2140 to the articlepreparation system 2160A, may cause the article preparation system 2160Ato remove wrinkles from the packaged article 2112, may cause thetransfer system 2108 to transfer the packaged article 2112 from thearticle preparation system 2160A to the pretreatment system 2160B, maycause the pretreatment system 2160B to apply the pretreatment solutionto the packaged article 2112, may cause the transfer system 2108 totransfer the packaged article 2112 from the pretreatment system 2160B tothe DTG printer 2160C, may cause the DTG printer 2160C to print apersonalization on the packaged article 2112, may cause the transfersystem 2108 to transfer the packaged article 2112 from the DTG printer2160C to a curing system 2160D, may cause the curing system 2160D to drythe packaged article 2112 with the DTG printed personalization, and maycause the transfer system 2108 to transfer the packaged article 2112from the curing system 2160D to the dispenser 2110 for pick-up. In someembodiments, the control system may cause the transfer system 2108 totransfer the packaged article 2112 to a drying system 2160D after thepretreatment system 2160B and/or the DTG printer 2160C.

The control system 2190 may also be connected to the shelving system2120 and the packaged articles 2112 in order to manage an inventory ofthe packaged articles 2112. For example, the control system 2190 mayknow what types of packaged articles 2112 are loaded into the shelvingsystem 2120, such as packing type, garment type (e.g., hoodies orshirts), garment sizes, garment colors, garment material, garment fittype (e.g., loose fit, modern fit, fitted, or big and tall), and thelike. Information on the types of packaged articles 2112 may be enteredmanually or automatically detected by the control system 2190 using asensor, indicator, or ID tag in or on the packaging (e.g., a bar code,QR code, near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency ID (RFID)tag, and the like). Once an order is received, the control system 2190directs the motion system 2140 to move the carrier 2150 to a packagedarticle 2112 to personalize to fulfill the user's order. The informationon the types of packaged articles 2112 available (e.g., information oncharacteristics of the packaged articles 2112) may also be used tomodify a display or user interface available to the user, such aspresenting only available inventory or designs to the user as discussedin relation to FIGS. 29-75 . In some embodiments, if a packaged article2112 having characteristics (e.g., article type, shirt size, shirt type,material type, shirt fit, and the like) desired by a user (referred toas the product) is unavailable within an inventory of the shelvingsystem 2120, the article personalization system 2106 may provide theuser an option of placing an order for the product at the user interfaceand to receive a delivery of the product by a user-selected method at alater time (e.g., ground shipping, expedited shipping, or a deliveryservice). In some embodiments, the article personalization system 2106may provide information to the user, though the user interface, ofavailable inventory of the product at the next few closest kiosks forthe user order and pickup at one of the kiosks.

The kiosk 2100 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in that atleast a portion of its personalization systems (e.g., the articleretrieval system 2104, the article personalization system 2106, and thetransfer system 2108) are disposed within the housing 2102 of the kiosk2100. The housing 2102 provides an enclosure to help arrange the systems2104, 2106, and 2108. For example, any floors, platforms, walls, andceilings of the housing 2102 may be used to mount the systems 2104,2106, and 2108. The housing 2102 also encourages safety in thepersonalization process by restricting users or other people and animalsoutside the housing 2102 from operations of the systems 2104, 2106, and2108 inside the housing 2102. In some embodiments, the article retrievalsystem 2104, the article personalization system 2106, and the transfersystem 2108 are all disposed inside the housing 2102. In someembodiments, the shelving system 2120 is located outside the housing2102, which may reduce a footprint or size of the housing 2102. In suchembodiments, the packaged articles 2112 may be loaded into the kiosk2100 manually, semi-automatically, or automatically. Loading thepackaged articles 2112 manually increases the user activity with thekiosk 2100 and may result in a more enjoyable experience for the user.One embodiment of a kiosk having the shelving system disposed outsidethe housing is a kiosk 2700 discussed in relation to the top-left-frontviews of FIGS. 27A and 27B.

The system components 2160 may be arranged in any physical orientationrelative to each other and the motion and transfer systems 2140 and 2108may transfer the packaged articles 2112 between the system components2160 during a DTG process, including transferring an article to the samesystem component 2160 twice at different stages of the DTG process.

In some embodiments, the first pair of rails 2142 may include a shaft, arail, a tube, a beam, a column, a pillar, and the like. The first set oftracks 2144 may be a groove in or an extension on the first pair ofrails 2142. For example, the first set of tracks 2144 may be a rackgear, an I-beam or cutouts of an I-beam. In some embodiments, the secondpair of rails 2146 may include a shaft, a rail, a beam, a tube, and thelike and the second set of tracks 2148 may be a groove in or anextension on the second pair of rails 2146.

In some embodiments, the DTG printer 2160C may operate as a wet-on-wetDTG printing process, and therefore, after applying the pretreatmentsolution, the DTG printing operation may be initiated without firstdrying the packaged article 2112.

In some embodiments, the system components 2160 do not include thepretreat system 2160B. Instead, the packaged articles 2112 may bepretreated with a pretreatment solution, which may be the same ordifferent than the pretreatment solution dispensed by the pretreatmentsystem 2160B. The pretreating of the packaged articles 2112 occurs at anearlier step, such as prior to the packaged articles 2112 being loadedinto the shelving system 2120. The pretreated packaged articles 2112 mayhave the pretreatment solution applied to an entire printable area ofthe packaged articles 2112 or only to a portion of the printed area,according to the personalization orders that are expected oranticipated. For example, the pretreated packaged articles 2112 may bepretreated to accommodate a finite number of printing images or designs,such as a 20 or less designs, such as 15 or less designs, such as 10 orless designs, such as 5 or less designs, such as 3 or less designs, suchas 1 design. In one example, the pretreated packaged articles 2112loaded in the shelving system 2120 are configured for 3 designs usingpretreatment on the entire printable area, 5 designs using pretreatmenton half of the printable area, and 2 designs using pretreatment on aquarter of the printable area, resulting in three types of pretreatedpackaged articles 2112 to support the 10 designs. The numbers andquantities discussed in the previous examples are for explanatorypurposes only and are not meant to be limiting.

In some embodiments, the article preparation system 2160A is used toactivate the pretreatment solution embedded in the packaged articles2112 prior to DTG printing. In some embodiments, the article preparationsystem 2160A includes a heat radiation system or heat convection systemto prepare a to-be printed surface of the packaged articles 2112. Insome embodiments, the heat radiation system or heat convection system isused in place of the ironing system or heat press. In some embodiments,a roller or pinch rollers may be used with or instead of the ironingsystem, heat press, heat radiation system, or heat convection system toprepare the to-be printed surface of the packaged articles 2112 byremoving wrinkles from the packaged articles 2112 and/or align or pressthe fibers of packaged articles 2112 to help improve the print quality.In some embodiments, the roller or pinch rollers are heated and neitherthe ironing system, heat press, heat radiation system, nor heatconvection system are used.

In some embodiments, any of the system components 2160 may include thearticle preparation system 2160A or the curing system 2160D. Forexample, the pretreatment system 2160B may include the curing system2160D. In some embodiments, the control system 2190 may cause thetransfer system 2108 to transfer a packaged article 2112 to the curingsystem 2160D, after any process stage.

In some embodiments, the article preparation system 2160A and/or thecuring system 2160D may use direct application of a radiant heat source,convection heat via forced air, and/or applying radiation from a lightsource (e.g. an LED light source) to dry the ink from the DTG printer2160C and pretreatment solution from the pretreatment system 2160B.

Although specific embodiments of the motion and transfer systems 2140and 2108 are discussed, the motion and transfer systems 2140 and 2108may employ various modalities of conveyance to move packaged articles2112 in and out of the shelving system 2120, to move packaged articles2112 from one system component 2160 to another, or for receipt ordelivery of the packaged articles 2112 in and out of the personalizationsystem. In some embodiments, the transfer system 2108 may furtherinclude a combination of one or more of: robotic arms, actuators,grippers, platens, jigs, conveyor belts (horizontal, vertical, curvedand/or angled), railed vehicles, trackless vehicles, and similarconveying means. In some embodiments, the transfer system 2108 mayfurther be configured for manipulating system components, articles, andportions thereof within the kiosk 2100. For example, the transfer system2108 may unpack the packaged articles 2112 from a box, hanger, tube, orfixture or may package the packaged articles 2112 into a box or tube, oronto a hanger or fixture.

In some embodiments, one or more, including all, of the systemcomponents 2160 and/or the entire kiosk 2100 may be fully sealed and/orvented to an outside of the kiosk 2100, at least during operations, inorder to prevent spreading undesirable chemicals and vapors within thekiosk housing 2102 and/or to the immediate vicinity outside of the kiosk2100. The sealing or venting differentiates the kiosk 2100 fromnon-kiosk personalization systems, which may require protectiveequipment or safety procedures to protect users or people nearby when inoperation.

In some embodiments, the shelving system 2120 may move instead of, or inaddition to, the carrier 2150, such as the shelving system 2230discussed in relation to FIGS. 22P-22R.

FIG. 21C depicts a front view of the shelving system 2120, according tosome embodiments. In particular, FIG. 21C shows a portion of theshelving system 2120.

The shelving system 2120 comprises a plurality of compartments 2122,each of which is formed by support members 2124, a backing plate 2125,and a pair of extruded members 2126. Thus, the shelving system 2120includes columns of compartments 2122. The support members 2124 andbacking plate 2125 provide a structure for the shelving system 2120. Theextruded members 2126 are coupled to the backing plate 2125 andsupport/hold the packaged articles 2112. The extruded members 2126 maybe welded to, fastened to using fasteners, adhered to, or unitarilyformed as part of the backing plate 2125. The extruded members 2126allow access for the carrier 2150 to grasp the packaged article 2112from underneath (as shown on the page), such as discussed in relation toFIGS. 21G-21I. Although shown as square bar, the extruded members 2126may include any shape, such as a rectangle, a circle, a cylinder, ahollow square or rectangle, or a triangle and the like.

In some embodiments, a shelf plate (not shown) is coupled to theextruded members 2126 and the packaged articles 2112 are disposed on theplate. In some embodiments, the shelf plate is used instead of theextruded members 2126 and the shelf plate is coupled to the backingplate 2125.

FIGS. 21D and 21E depict a cross-sectional view of the shelving system2120, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIGS. 21D and 21Eshow the carrier 2150 extended and retracted, respectively, such as whengrasping the packaged article 2112 from the extruded members 2126. Inthe embodiment depicted, the carrier 2150 comprises three extendablemembers, such as telescoping members 2130 (or segments), although moreor less may be used. A first telescoping member 2130A remains stationaryin relation to the second set of tracks 2148 via a carrier coupler 2128while the carrier 2150 grasps the packaged article 2112. A secondtelescoping member 2130B moves in relation to the first telescopingmember 2130A and is used to extend a third telescoping member 2130C. Thethird telescoping member 2130C moves in relation to the secondtelescoping member 2130B. The second and third telescoping members 2130Band 2130C move in the third direction, as discussed in relation to FIGS.21A and 21B. Each telescoping member 2130 is at least partially nestedor disposed inside another telescoping member 2130. For example, thethird telescoping member 2130C is nested inside the second telescopingmember 2130B, which is further nested inside the first telescopingmembers 2130A.

In some embodiments, the telescoping members 2130 may include nestedrails, bars, tubes, beams, and the like. In some embodiments, the motionsystem 2140 may further include a combination of one or more of: roboticarms, actuators, grippers, platens, jigs, conveyor belts (horizontal,vertical, curved and/or angled), and similar conveying means to graspthe packaged articles 2112 from the telescoping members 2130, or fromthe extruded members 2126 discussed in relation to FIGS. 21C-21E.

FIG. 21F depicts a cross-sectional view of the carrier 2150 from FIG.21D, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 21F shows thethird actuation system 2132, which moves the telescoping members 2130.The third actuation system 2132 is a telescoping conveyor system thatincludes a motorized pinion gear 2134 and a rack gear 2136. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 21F, the rack gear 2136 includes an upperand lower rack gear above and the motorized pinion gear 2134 is disposedin between the upper and lower rack gears. The rack gear 2136 isattached to an exterior of the second telescoping member 2130B and themotorized pinion gear 2134 is coupled to an interior of the firsttelescoping member 2130A, such as through an actuator. The motorizedpinion gear 2134 engages the rack gear 2136 to move the secondtelescoping member 2130B. Similarly, a motorized pinion gear 2134 iscoupled to an interior of the second telescoping member 2130B and a rackgear 2136 is attached to an exterior of the third telescoping member2130C. The control system 2190 controls the rotation of the motorizedpinion gears 2134, and thus, the movement of the carrier 2150 in thethird direction 2114C.

FIGS. 21G-21J depict cross-sectional views of carriers 2150 for graspingthe packaged articles 2112, according to some embodiments. Inparticular, FIG. 21G shows the carrier 2150 partially surrounding thepackaged article 2112. The third telescoping member 2130C includes amovable platform 2130D. The movable platform 2130D is positionedunderneath the packaged article 2112 and adjacent to the pair ofextruded members 2126, such as between the extruded members 2126, tograsp the packaged article 2112. As depicted in FIG. 21H, a graspingactuator 2131 moves the movable platform 2130D in the second direction2114B to lift the packaged article 2112 off the pair of extruded railsand hold the packaged article 2112 in place between the thirdtelescoping member 2130C and the movable platform 2130D. The graspingactuator 2131 may move the movable platform vertically (as shown on thepage). In some embodiments, a hinge (not shown) connects the movableplatform 2130D to the third telescoping member 2130C at an end near thesecond telescoping member 2130B, and the grasping actuator 2131 rotatesthe movable platform 2130D about the hinge to grasp the packaged article2112.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 21I, the movable platform 2130D isnot moved by the grasping actuator 2131. Instead, the movable platform2130D remains stationary in relation to the third telescoping member2130C and the second actuation system 2152 (FIG. 21K) moves the carrier2150 vertically (as shown on the page) to lift the packaged article 2112off the extruded members 2126.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 21J, the shelving system 2120 uses asingle extruded member 2127 instead of the pair of extruded members2126. The carrier 2150 includes movable forks 2130E instead of themovable platform 2130D. The movable forks 2130E are positioned adjacentto each side of the extruded member 2127, such as the extruded member2127 is between the movable forks 2130E and the movable forks 2130E areused to grasp the packaged article 2112 in a similar manner as themovable platform 2130D previously discussed.

FIGS. 21K-21P depict cross-sectional views of different actuationsystems used to move the motion system 2140, according to someembodiments. In particular, FIGS. 21K and 21L show two differentembodiments of the second actuation system 2152, which may be used withone or both of the second pair of rails 2146. In the first embodiment,which is shown in FIG. 21K, a second actuation system 2152A uses a liftbelt 2153A (or rope, chain, and the like) connected to a lift motor2154A at one end and to the carrier coupler 2128 at another end to movethe carrier 2150 in the second direction 2114B. The lift motor 2154Arotates to move the lift belt 2153A, which in turn moves the carriercoupler 2128, which in turn moves the carrier 2150. An alignment roller2155 (e.g., a pulley) aligns the lift belt 2153A such that the lift belt2153A pulls on the carrier 2150 in a direction parallel to the secondset of tracks 2148 (e.g., the second direction 2114B). The carriercoupler 2128 travels on one of the second set of tracks 2148, which area channel formed in each of the second pair of rails 2146.

In the second embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 21L, a second actuationsystem 2152B uses a threaded rod 2153B coupled to a lift motor 2154B.The threaded rod 2153B is disposed through the carrier coupler 2128,which comprises mating threads. The lift motor 2154B rotates thethreaded rod 2153B, which in turn engages mating threads of the carriercoupler 2128 to move the carrier coupler 2128, which in turn moves thecarrier 2150 in the second direction 2114B.

In some embodiments, the carrier coupler 2128 may have a non-stickcoating, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), to reduce frictionbetween the carrier coupler 2128 and the second set of tracks 2148. Insome embodiments, the carrier coupler 2128 may use a non-stick tape toreduce friction.

FIGS. 21M-21P show three different embodiments of the first actuationsystem 2156, which may be used with one of both of the first pair ofrails 2142. In the first embodiment, which is shown in cross-sectionaltop and side views of FIGS. 21M and 21N, respectively, a first actuationsystem 2156A uses shift motors 2157A to move the second pair of rails2146 in the first direction 2114A. The shift motors 2157A are coupled toa shift belt 2158A. A coupling bracket 2147 connects the second pair ofrails 2146 to another and to the shift belt 2158A. One of the shiftmotors 2157A rotates and moves the shift belt 2158A, which in turn movesthe coupling bracket 2147, which in turn moves the second pair of rails2146 in the first direction 2114A (e.g., left as shown on the page).Another shift motor 2157A (i.e., not the one of the shift motors 2157A)may also rotate to move the second pair of rails 2146 in the firstdirection 2114A (e.g., right as shown on the page).

In a second embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 21O, a second actuationsystem 2156B uses shift motors 2157B to move the second pair of rails2146 in the first direction 2114A. A shift belt 2158B connects the shiftmotors 2157B, which rotate at the same time or individually, to move theshift belt 2158B and further move the second pair of rails 2146 in thefirst direction 2114A.

In a third embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 21P, a second actuationsystem 2156C uses a shift motor 2157C to move the second pair of rails2146 in the first direction 2114A. The shift motor 2157C rotates athreaded rod 2158C, which is disposed through the coupling bracket 2147,to move the second pair of rails 2146 in the first direction 2114A. Thecoupling bracket 2147 uses wheels 2159 to travel along the first set oftracks 2144.

The control system 2190 may control any of the actuations systems 2156,2152, and 2132, such as any of the motorized pinion gear 2134 and themotors 2154 and 2157, to move the carrier 2150.

Although certain embodiments of the first, second, and third actuationsystems 2156, 2152, and 2132 are discussed in relation to FIGS. 21F and21K-21P, other types of linear actuation systems are contemplated. Insome embodiments, the first, second, and/or third actuation systems2156, 2152, and 2132 may use mechanical or electro-mechanical linearactuators, belt-drive actuators, hydraulic linear actuators, pneumaticlinear actuators, or piezoelectric linear actuators.

In some embodiments, the second pair of rails 2146 and/or the carriercoupler 2128 may comprise wheels, such as the wheels 2159 discussed inrelation to FIG. 21P, that engage the first and second tracks 2144 and2148, respectively. The first and second tracks 2144 and 2148 comprise ashape corresponding to the wheels to allow the wheels to ride on thetracks 2144 and 2148.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Rotatable Robotic Retrieval System

FIG. 22A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk2200, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2200 (referred to as the kiosk 2200)is similar to the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to FIGS. 21A and 21B,except as noted. For example, the kiosk 2200 includes a housing 2202. Anarticle retrieval system 2204, an article personalization system 2206,and a transfer system 2208 are disposed within the housing 2202. Thekiosk 2200 further includes a dispenser 2210 and a control system 2290.

The article retrieval system 2204 includes a shelving system 2220 and amotion system 2240 to house and to retrieve a plurality of packagedarticles 2212 to be personalized by the kiosk 2200. In the depictedembodiment, the packaged articles 2212 include the packaging 101 andarticle 105 discussed in relation to FIGS. 2-4 , although the kiosk 2200may be configured to use packaged articles having other packaging andarticles discussed herein, such as the packaging 201 and the article 205discussed in relation to FIGS. 5A and 5B, such as the packaging 301 andthe article 305 discussed in relation to FIGS. 6 and 7 , such as thepackaging 401 and article 405 discussed in relation to FIGS. 8A and 8B,such as the packaging 501 and article 505 discussed in relation to FIGS.9A-9C, such as the packaging 701 and article 705 discussed in relationto FIGS. 12A and 12B. The shelving system 2220 includes two similarshelving units 2220A and 2220B to dispense the packaged articles 2212 tothe motion system 2240, as discussed in relation to FIG. 22B.

The motion system 2240 is used to retrieve a packaged article 2212 fromeither of the shelving units 2220A and 2220B. The motion system 2240includes a support member 2242 having a first track 2244, a retrievalmember 2246 movably coupled to the support member 2242, and a carrier2250, which is used to grasp the packaged articles 2212. The carrier2250 is coupled to the retrieval member 2246 at an end opposite thesupport member 2242. The support member 2242 may be a shaft, a rail, abar, a beam, a tube, a column, a pillar, and the like. The first track2244 may be a groove in or an extension on the support member 2242. Forexample, the first track 2244 may be a rack gear, an I-beam or cutoutsof an I-beam. In some embodiments, the support member 2242 forms a firstchannel within that runs a length of the support member 2242 and thefirst track 2244 is a second channel extending from the first channelthrough an outer surface of the support member 2242. The retrievalmember 2246 may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, a tube, and the like.

The retrieval member 2246 moves along the first track 2244 in a firstdirection 2214A. The support member 2242 rotates about a first axis2215A and the carrier 2250 rotates about a second axis 2215B. Therotation of the support member 2242 is shown in the cross-sectional topview of FIG. 22C. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 22A, the retrievalmember 2246 comprises extendable or telescoping members (or segments) tomove the carrier 2250 in a second direction 2214B. For example, theretrieval member 2246 may comprise nested rails, bars, tubes, beams, andthe like. In some embodiments, the retrieval member 2246 may be similarto the telescoping members 2130 discussed in relation to FIGS. 21D-21F.Thus, the motion system 2240 may move the carrier 2250 in fourindependent directions to grasp a desired packaged article 2212 from theshelving system 2220.

The support member 2242 is coupled to the housing 2202, such as to aceiling, floor, or shelf of the housing 2202. The retrieval member 2246is orthogonal to the support member 2242, the second direction 2214B isorthogonal to the first direction 2214A, the first axis 2215A isparallel to the first direction 2214A, and the second axis 2215B isparallel to the second direction 2214B. The motion system 2240 includesa first actuation system to move retrieval member 2246 on the firsttrack 2244, a second actuation system to rotate the support member 2242about the first axis 2215A, a third actuation system to move theretrieval member 2246 in the second direction 2214B, and a fourthactuation system to rotate the carrier 2250 about the second axis 2215B.Thus, the retrieval member 2246 may move the carrier 2250 toward andaway from shelving system 2220. The actuation systems may be similar tothose discussed in relation to FIGS. 21D-21P. For example, the firstactuation system may be similar to the second actuation systems 2152discussed in relation to FIGS. 21K and 21L or the third actuation system2132 discussed in relation to FIG. 21F. The third actuation system maybe similar to the first actuation systems 2156 discussed in relation toFIGS. 21M-21P or the third actuation system 2132 discussed in relationto FIGS. 21D-21F. In some embodiments, the first and third actuationsystems may include linear actuators such as a mechanical orelectro-mechanical linear actuators, belt-drive actuators, hydrauliclinear actuators, pneumatic linear actuators, or piezoelectric linearactuators. In some embodiments, the second and fourth actuation systemsinclude a rotary actuator such as a rack-and-pinion actuator, a vaneactuator, a helix actuator, a planetary actuator, a linear cylinder, ascotch-yoke actuator, a sprocket actuator, a bladder actuator, adirect-drive motor, and the like.

The article personalization system 2206 is similar to the articlepersonalization system 2106 discussed in relation to FIGS. 21A and 21B,except as noted, and may include any of the ironing system, heat press,heat radiation system, heat convection system, roller, or pinch rollers.The article personalization system 2206 includes a plurality of systemcomponents 2260. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 22A, the systemcomponents 2260 include an article preparation system 2260A, adirect-to-garment (DTG) printer 2260B, and a curing system 2260C. Thesystem components 2260 depicted in FIG. 22A are for illustrativepurposes and the actual system components 2260 may have any shape. Insome embodiments, the DTG printer 2260B does not include an outer shellor casing. The lack of casing or outer shell helps accommodate repairs,restocking, maintenance, automated loading and unloading, or manualloading and unloading by an operator or a user, for example, in asemi-manual embodiment of the kiosk 2200.

The system components 2260 are positioned and oriented within reach of atransfer system 2208, which in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 22A, isthe motion system 2240. The transfer system 2208 transfers the packagedarticles 2212 to/from/between the system components 2260 for processing,similar to the transfer system 2108 discussed in relation to FIG. 21A.The transfer system 2208 may present the packaged articles 2212 to theuser at different stages of the personalization process, such aspresenting a personalized packaged article 2216 after the curing system2260C dries the printed image or design. The packaged article 2212 maybe presented through a window in the housing 2202. In some embodiments,the packaged article 2216 is presented before the personalizationprocess begins (e.g., before the transfer system 2208 moves thepersonalized packaged article 2216 to the system components 2260). Insuch embodiments, the personalized packaged article 2216 is displayedand a projector user interface, such as discussed in relation to FIGS.36-39 , uses a projector to project an image or design to be printed onthe personalized packaged article 2216. The personalized packagedarticle 2216 may be visible to the user through the window, a display,or a two-way mirror. This unique method allows for presentation of anactual visualization of the image or design on the personalized packagedarticle 2216, rather than a simulated visualization, to the user beforeorder confirmation. The packaged articles 2212 may be presented to theuser to enhance the personalization process or to request approval fromthe user to continue the personalization process. The control system2290 controls the kiosk 2200, similar to the control system 2190discussed in relation to FIG. 21A.

The kiosk 2200 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in asimilar manner as the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B.

In some embodiments, the retrieval member 2246 is rotatably coupled tothe support member 2242 and rotates about the support member 2242. Forexample, the retrieval member 2246 may couple to the support member 2242through a collar. The collar may include a rotary actuator to rotate theretrieval member 2246 about the support member 2242. In someembodiments, the support member 2242 does not rotate.

FIG. 22B depicts a partial front view of the shelving unit 2220A,according to some embodiments.

The shelving unit 2220A includes several rows 2222 of packaged articles2212. Each row 2222 of the several rows 2222 has a dispenser portion2224 at each end, a supply device 2226, and a dispenser actuator 2228.The packaged articles 2212 are arranged in the rows 2222. The dispenserportion 2224 presents the packaged articles 2212 to the motion system2240 through an opening 2225 formed by the shelving unit 2220A, which islocated where the carrier 2250 can retrieve the packaged articles 2212(e.g., within reach of the motion system 2240). The dispenser actuator2228 moves the packaged articles 2212, for example, a packaged article2212 adjacent to the dispenser actuator 2228, through the opening 2225in the dispenser portion 2224 and onto the carrier 2250 of the motionsystem 2240. Once the dispenser portion 2224 presents the adjacentpackaged article 2212, the supply device 2226 moves another packagedarticle 2212 in the row 2222 to the dispenser portion 2224. The supplydevice 2226 includes a compliant mechanism 2227A coupled to a fixedelement 2227B and a movable element 2227C. The compliant mechanism 2227Amay couple to the fixed element 2227B through a fastener or bracket, ormay be integrally formed with the fixed element 2227B. The compliantmechanism 2227A comprises an elastic object that stores mechanicalenergy, such as a spring or flexible structure. For example, thepackaged articles 2212 push the movable element 2227C towards the fixedelement 2227B, which compresses the compliant mechanism 2227A againstthe fixed element 2227B and stores mechanical energy. When the supplydevice moves the another packaged article 2212 to the dispenser portion2224, the compliant mechanism 2227A exerts the stored mechanical energy(e.g., a force) on and moves the movable element 2227C, which in turnmoves the packaged articles 2212 towards the dispenser portion 2224.Thus, the compliant mechanism 2227A is “biased” to move the packagedarticles 2212 towards the dispenser portion 2224. In some embodiments,the supply device 2226 comprises an actuator, such as a linear actuator,instead of the compliant mechanism 2227A, fixed element 2227B andmovable element 2227C.

FIG. 22C depicts a cross-sectional top view of the shelving units 2220Aand 2220B, according to some embodiments.

The shelving unit 2220B is similar to the shelving unit 2220A, exceptthere is only one dispenser portion 2224 in a center of the row 2222,and the fixed element 2227B is an inner wall of the shelving unit 2220B.In some embodiments, the shelving unit 2220B has the dispenser portions2224 at each end of the rows 2222, similar to the shelving unit 2220A.The motion system 2240 extends the retrieval member 2246 to retrieve thepackaged articles 2212 from the dispenser portions 2224 of the shelvingunit 2220B.

FIGS. 22D and 22E depict cross-sectional top views of shelving units2280A and 2280B, respectively, according to some embodiments. Inparticular, FIG. 22D shows the shelving unit 2280A, which is similar tothe shelving unit 2220A discussed in relation to FIGS. 22B and 22C,except as noted. The shelving units 2280A and 2280B may be part of theshelving system 2220 (FIG. 22A).

The shelving unit 2280A includes several rows 2282 (one of which isshown) of packaged articles 2212 (FIGS. 22G-22I). Each row 2282 has adispenser portion 2284 at each end (e.g., a first end and a second end),a supply device 2286, and a dispenser actuator. In the depictedembodiment, the supply device 2286 includes a conveyor belt system 2287and the dispenser actuator is a multi-directional conveyor system 2288.The multi-directional conveyor system 2288 of the dispenser portion 2284moves the packaged articles 2212 in a first direction 2289A and presentsthe packaged articles 2212 to the motion system 2240 through a firstopening 2285A formed by the shelving unit 2280A at the first end of therow 2282. Once the dispenser portion 2284 presents a packaged article2212, the conveyor belt system 2287 of the supply device 2286 movesanother packaged article 2212 in the row 2282 in a second direction2289B (e.g., along a length of the row 2282) and to the dispenserportion 2284. The first direction 2289A is orthogonal to the seconddirection 2289B. The dispenser portion 2284 at the second end of the row2222 may be used to dispense the packaged articles 2212, or to receivepackaged articles 2212 through a second opening 2285B formed by theshelving unit 2280A as discussed in relation to FIGS. 22F-22I. In someembodiments, the dispenser portion 2284 at the first end of the row 2282is used to receive packaged articles 2212.

The conveyor belt system 2287 includes a conveyor belt, head pulley,tail pulley, and idlers. The multi-directional conveyor system 2288includes a first plurality of motorized wheels 2283A and a secondplurality of motorized wheels 2283B that rotate in place. The firstplurality of motorized wheels 2283A are controlled independently of thesecond plurality of motorized wheels 2283B, for example, by the controlsystem 2290 (FIG. 22A). The first plurality of motorized wheels 2283Arotate in the first direction 2289A and are used to dispense and/orreceive the packaged articles 2212. The second plurality of motorizedwheels 2283B rotate in the second direction 2289B and are used totransfer the packaged articles 2212 to and from the conveyor belt system2287. The multi-directionality of the multi-directional conveyor system2288 converts a motion of the packaged articles 2212 between the firstdirection 2289A and the second direction 2289B.

The motorized wheels 2283A and 2283B are driven by a belt or chainactuation system. In some embodiments, the motorized wheels 2283A or2283B are coupled to a roller that is coupled to the belt or chain drivesystem, such that when the roller rotates, the motorized wheels 2283A or2283B connected to the roller rotate. In some embodiments, each wheel ofthe plurality of wheels 2283A and/or 2283B is driven by a belt or chaindrive system. In some embodiments, the belt or chain system may besimilar to the shift motors 2157A and shift belt 2158A discussed inrelation to FIGS. 21N and 21O. Although a few drive systems aredescribed, it any drive system or multi-directional conveyor systemcommercially available is contemplated.

FIG. 22E shows the shelving unit 2280B, which is similar to the shelvingunit 2220B discussed in relation to FIG. 22C, except as noted.

The shelving unit 2280B includes several rows 2282 (one of which isshown) of packaged articles 2212. Each row 2282 includes the dispenserportion 2284, the supply device 2286, and the dispenser actuator (e.g.,the multi-directional conveyor system 2288). The multi-directionalconveyor system 2288 is positioned in a middle of the row 2222 and theconveyor belt system 2287 is positioned on each of two sides of themulti-directional conveyor system 2288. The multi-directional conveyorsystem 2288 moves the packaged articles 2212 in the first direction2289A through an opening 2285C formed by the shelving unit 2280B totransfer the packaged articles 2212 to or from the motion system 2240.The conveyor belt systems 2287 move the packaged articles 2212 in thesecond direction 2289B towards the multi-directional conveyor system2288, for example, to transfer the packaged articles to themulti-directional conveyor system 2288.

In some embodiments, a different conveyor system may be used as theconveyor belt system 2287. In some embodiments, a wheeled conveyorsystem, such as the multi-directional conveyor system 2288, may be usedinstead of the conveyor belt system 2287. In some embodiments, theconveyor belt system 2287 may only comprise the second plurality ofmotorized wheels 2283B.

In some embodiments, shelving unit 2280A and/or 2280B may be used withor instead of the shelving units 2220A and 2220B (FIGS. 22B and 22C).

FIG. 22F is a flow diagram that illustrates a method 2298 for moving thepackaged articles 2212 through a shelving unit 2280A, according toembodiments described herein. FIGS. 22G-22I schematically illustrate across-sectional view of the packaged articles 2212 at differentoperations 2299 of the method 2298 depicted in FIG. 22F, according tosome embodiments. Therefore, FIG. 22F and FIGS. 22G-22I are hereindescribed together for clarity.

The method 2298 shown in FIG. 22F begins at operation 2299A by moving afirst packaged article 2218A from a first position 2219A through thefirst opening 2282A formed by the shelving unit 2280A. FIG. 22G depictsthe operation 2299A and shows the multi-directional conveyor system 2288moving the first packaged article 2218A in the first direction 2289A(and towards the motion system 2240 as discussed in relation to FIG.22C) by rotating only the first plurality of motorized wheels 2283A. Thefirst position 2219A is adjacent to the opening 2285A and at thedispenser portion 2284 at the first end of the row 2222 (FIG. 22D).

The method 2298 shown in FIG. 22F continues to operation 2299B withretrieving the first packaged article 2218A using the carrier 2250 ofthe motion system 2240. Although discussed in relation to the shelvingunit 2220A, FIG. 22C depicts an example of the operation 2299B and showsthe motion system 2240 retrieving the packaged article 2212. The motionsystem 2240 may similarly retrieve the first packaged article 2218A fromthe shelving unit 2280A discussed in relation to FIG. 22G.

The method 2298 shown in FIG. 22F continues to operation 2299C withmoving remaining packaged articles 2212 in the row 2222 towards thefirst position 2219A until a second packaged article 2218B is in thefirst position 2219A. FIG. 22H depicts the operation 2299C and shows themulti-directional conveyor system 2288 and the conveyor belt system 2287(both hidden by the packaged articles 2212) moving the packaged articles2212 in the second direction 2289B towards the first position 2219A. Themulti-directional conveyor system 2288 moves the second packaged article2218B by rotating only the second plurality of motorized wheels 2283B.The second packaged article 2218B is shown in the first position 2219Aadjacent to the first opening 2282A.

The method 2298 shown in FIG. 22F continues to operation 2299D withinserting a third packaged article 2218C into the second opening 2285Bformed by the shelving unit 2280A. FIG. 22I depicts the operation 2299Dand shows the third packaged article 2218C moving through the secondopening 2285B. The motion system 2240 (not shown) may insert the thirdpackaged article 2218C into the second opening 2285B such that the thirdpackaged article 2218C at least partially rests on the multi-directionalconveyor system 2288. The multi-directional conveyor system 2288 movesthe third packaged article 2218C in the first direction 2289A (and awayfrom the motion system 2240) by rotating only the first plurality ofmotorized wheels 2283A.

The method 2298 shown in FIG. 22F continues to operation 2299E by movingthe third packaged article 2218C to a second position 2219B. The secondposition 2219B is adjacent to the second opening 2285B. Although notexpressly shown, the third packaged article 2218C is positioned in thesecond position 2219B adjacent to the second opening 2285B similar tohow the second packaged article 2218B is positioned in the firstposition 2219A in FIG. 22H. The second position 2219B is at thedispenser portion 2284 at the second end of the row 2222 (FIG. 22D).

The method 2298 may be used to manage an inventory of packaged articles2212 in the shelving unit 2280A. The method 2298 may be used to sortthrough packaged articles 2212 having different characteristics (e.g.,article type, shirt size, shirt type, material type, shirt fit, and thelike) to select a packaged article 2212 for personalization. Using thediscussion in relation to FIGS. 22G-22H as an example, the secondpackaged article 2218B may have characteristics required forpersonalization (e.g., a Men's large T-shirt). The first packagedarticle 2218A is moved to the motion system 2240 and the second packagedarticle 2218B is moved to the first position 2219A. The motion system2240 returns the first packaged article 2218A to the shelving unit 2280A(at the second position 2219B) and the first article 2218A becomes thethird packaged article 2218C. The second packaged article 2218B is thenmoved to the motion system 2240 to be personalized as discussed inrelation to FIG. 22A. The inventory of packaged articles 2212 may bemanaged, for example, by the control system 2290 (FIG. 22A).

Although the method 2298 is discussed in relation to the shelving unit2280A, it may similarly apply to the shelving unit 2280B (FIG. 22E). Forexample, the multi-directional conveyor system 2288 moves the firstpackaged article 2218A through the opening 2285C and the motion system2240 retrieves the first packaged article 2218A. Either of the conveyorbelt systems 2287 may move the packaged articles 2212 disposed on theconveyor belt system 2287 to the multi-directional conveyor system 2288,where the second packaged article 22186 is presented to themulti-directional conveyor system 2288. Alternatively, the motion system2240 may insert the third packaged article 2218C into the opening 2285Cand the multi-directional conveyor system 2288 moves the third packagedarticle 2218C in the second direction 2289A (away from the motion system2240). The third packaged article may then remain on themulti-directional conveyor system 2288 or be moved to either of theconveyor belt system 2287. In some embodiments, there are two conveyorbelt systems 2287 in the row 2222 and one is used to store packaging ofthe packaged articles 2212 and another is used to store packagedarticles 2212 ready for personalization by the kiosk 2200.

In some embodiments, the third packaged article 2218C is the firstpackaged article 2218A.

In some embodiments, the first packaged article 2218A has differentcharacteristics than the second packaged article 2218B, the remainingpackaged articles 2212 in the row 2222 have at least two differentcharacteristics, and the packaged articles 2212 and/or 2218B are movedfrom the first position to the second position until a packaged article2212 having desired characteristics is positioned in the first position.

Some embodiments further include personalizing the packaged article 2212having desired characteristics using the plurality of system components2260 of an article personalization system 2206. In such embodiments, thesystem components comprise the article preparation system 2260A, the DTGprinter 2260B, and the curing system 2260C.

Some embodiments further include personalizing the first packagedarticle 2218A using the plurality of system components 2260 of anarticle personalization system 2206. In such embodiments, the systemcomponents 2260 comprise the article preparation system 2260A, the DTGprinter 2260B, and the curing system 2260C and the packaged articles2212 each comprise a packaging and an article.

Some embodiments further include removing an article of the firstpackaged article 2218A from a packaging of the first packaged article2218A. In such embodiments, the third packaged article 2218C is thepackaging of the first packaged article 2218A.

FIGS. 22J and 22K depict a trimetric and cross-sectional view of amechanical carrier 2250A for grasping packaged articles 2212, accordingto some embodiments. The mechanical carrier 2250A includes a holdingsurface 2251A, a mechanical actuator 2251B, and a gripper or articulablemember, such as rotatable arms 2251C. A packaged article 2212A includesan underside 2213A and forms a package opening 2213B in the underside2213A. The holding surface 2251A of the mechanical carrier 2250A ispositioned adjacent to the underside 2213A of the packaged article2212A. For example, the holding surface 2251A supports the packagedarticle 2212 by the underside 2213A. In another example, the holdingsurface 2251A contacts the underside 2213A. The mechanical actuator2251B moves the rotatable arms 2251C towards the underside 2213A of thepackaged article 2212A and the rotatable arms 2251C engage the packageopening 2213B, which causes the mechanical carrier 2250A to grasp thepackaged article 2212A, for example, while the motion system 2240 moves.The rotatable arms 2251C may be flush with the holding surface 2251Awhen not engaging the package opening 2213B.

FIGS. 22L and 22M depict a trimetric and cross-sectional view of acarrier for grasping packaged articles, according to some embodiments.The electro-magnetic carrier 2250B includes a holding surface 2253A anda gripper, such as an electromagnet 2253B. A packaged article 2212Bincludes an underside 2217A and a package magnet 2217B disposed in thepackaged article 2212B, as shown, or flush with the underside 2217A. Theholding surface 2253A is positioned adjacent to the underside 2217A ofthe packaged article 2212B. The control system 2290 activates theelectromagnet 2253B at a polarity opposite of a polarity of the packagemagnet 2217B and the electromagnet 2253B engages the package magnet2217B, which causes the carrier 2250 to grasp the packaged article2212B.

FIG. 22N depicts a trimetric view of a movable shelving system 2221,according to some embodiments. The article personalization system 2206and the housing 2202 are not depicted for simplicity.

The shelving system 2221 may be used with or instead of the shelvingsystem 2220. The shelving system 2221 includes shelving units 2221A, apair of rails 2221B having tracks 2221C, and an actuation system (notshown). The shelving units 2221A differ from the shelving units 2220Aand 2220B and do not have the dispenser portion 2224, supply device2226, or dispenser actuator 2228. The shelving units 2221A includecolumns of packaged articles 2212, similar to the shelving system 2120discussed in relation to the top-front-right view of FIG. 21A and thetop-left-rear view of 21B. The actuation system moves the shelving units2221A along the tracks 2221C, which allows the motion system 2240 toaccess the packaged articles 2212 in each column of the shelving unit2221A.

FIG. 22O depicts a trimetric view of the motion system 2240, accordingto some embodiments. The article personalization system 2206 and thehousing 2202 are not depicted for simplicity.

In the depicted embodiments, the motion system 2240 includes a tracksystem 2241 having a pair of rails 2241A, tracks 2241B, and an actuationsystem (not shown). The actuation system moves the motion system 2240along the tracks 2241B of the rails 2241A, which allows the motionsystem 2240 to access the packaged articles 2212 in each column of theshelving unit 2221A.

The actuation systems are not shown in FIGS. 22N and 22O, but may besimilar to the first actuation systems 2156 discussed in relation toFIGS. 21M-21P. The track system 2241 and motion system 2240 may be alsobe used with the shelving system 2220 discussed in relation to FIGS.22A-22C.

FIGS. 22P-22R depict different views of a shelving system 2230,according to some embodiments. The shelving system 2230 may be used withor instead of the shelving systems 2220 and 2221 discussed in relationto FIGS. 22A-22C and 22N and 22O. The shelving system 2230 is similar tothe shelving system 2220 discussed in relation to FIG. 21C, except asnoted, and includes a plurality of compartments 2231, each of which isformed by support members 2234, a backing plate 2235, and a pair ofextruded members 2236. The shelving system 2230 further includes anarticle dispensing system 2232 to present the packaged articles 2212.The article dispensing system 2232 includes the extruded members 2236and a push plate 2238. The extruded members 2236 each include threeextendable members (or segments), such as a first telescoping member2236A, a second telescoping member 2236B, and a third telescoping member2236C, although more or less may be used. The first telescoping member2236A remains fixed to the backing plate 2235. The second and thirdtelescoping members 2236B and 2236C move in relation to the firsttelescoping member 2236A and to each other. The push plate 2238 couplesto one of the telescoping members 2236A-C and contacts the packagedarticle 2212 to move the packaged article 2212 with the extruded members2236. Thus, each compartment 2231 of the compartments 2231 may move thepackaged articles 2212 towards and away from the motion system 2240 in adirection orthogonal to the support member 2242. The push plate 2238 maybe welded to, fastened to using fasteners, adhered to, or unitarilyformed as part of the one of the telescoping members 2236A-C. In someembodiments, the push plate 2238 is not used.

In some embodiments, the extruded members 2236 may comprise nestedrails, bars, tubes, beams, and the like.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Articular Robotic Retrieval System

FIG. 23A depicts trimetric views of on-demand personalization kiosk2300, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2300 (referred to as the kiosk 2300)is similar to the kiosks 2100 and 2200 discussed in relation to previousfigures, except as noted. For example, the kiosk 2300 includes a housing2302. Disposed within the housing are an article retrieval system 2304,an article personalization system 2306, and a transfer system 2308. Thekiosk 2300 further includes a dispenser 2310 and a control system 2390.

The article retrieval system 2304 includes a shelving system 2320 and amotion system 2340 to house and to retrieve a plurality of packagedarticles 2312 to be personalized by the kiosk 2300. The packagedarticles 2312 includes the packaging 101 and article 105 discussed inrelation to FIGS. 2-4 , although the kiosk 2300 may be configured to usepackaged articles having other packaging and articles discussed herein,such as the packaging 201 and the article 205 discussed in relation toFIGS. 5A and 5B, such as the packaging 301 and the article 305 discussedin relation to FIGS. 6 and 7 , such as the packaging 401 and article 405discussed in relation to FIGS. 8A and 8B, such as the packaging 501 andarticle 505 discussed in relation to FIGS. 9A-9C, such as the packaging701 and article 705 discussed in relation to FIGS. 12A and 12B. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 23A, the shelving system 2320 includes twosimilar shelving units 2320A and 2320B to dispense the packaged articles2312 to the motion system 2340 Each shelving unit 2320A and 2320Bincludes several rows 2322 of packaged articles 2312 having a dispenserportion 2324 at one end, as further discussed in relation to FIG. 23B.The shelving units 2320A and 2320B are positioned between 45 degrees and135 degrees apart. In some embodiments, the shelving units 2320A and2320B are positioned between 60 degrees and 120 degrees apart. In someembodiments, the shelving units 2320A and 2320B are positioned between80 degrees and 100 degrees apart. In some embodiments, the shelvingunits 2320A and 2320B are positioned about 90 degrees apart, where aboutmay be +/−10%.

The motion system 2340 is positioned in between shelving units 2320A and2320B, and is used to retrieve the packaged articles 2312 from theshelving units 2320A and 2320B, such as from the dispenser portion 2324.The motion system 2340 includes a support member 2342 having a track2344, a retrieval member 2346 movably coupled to the support member2342, and a carrier 2350, which is used to grasp the packaged articles2312. The support member 2342 may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, atube, a column, a pillar, and the like. The track 2344 may be a groovein or an extension on the support member 2342. For example, the track2344 may be a rack gear, an I-beam, or cutouts of an I-beam. In someembodiments, the support member 2342 forms a first channel within thatruns a length of the support member 2342 (e.g., similar to a hole orchannel in a cylinder) and the first track 2344 is a second channelextending from the first channel through an outer surface of the supportmember 2342. The retrieval member 2346 may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, atube, and the like.

The retrieval member 2346 comprises a first linkage member 2347A and asecond linkage member 2347B. The first and second linkage members 2347Aand 2347B may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, a tube, and the like.The first linkage member 2347A is coupled to the track 2344 at one endand to the second linkage member 2347B at another end opposite the oneend. For example, the first linkage member may be coupled to the trackthough an actuation system. The second linkage member 2347B is rotatablycoupled to the first linkage member 2347A, and is coupled to the carrier2350 at an end opposite an end coupled to the first linkage member2347A. The carrier 2350 is rotatably coupled to the retrieval member2346. The support member 2342 rotates about a first axis 2315A, thesecond linkage rotates about a second axis 2315B, and the carrier 2350rotates about a third axis 2315C. The first and second linkage members2347A and 2347B, the carrier 2350, and the support member 2342 may eachbe coupled to a corresponding member through a joint and/or an actuationsystem.

The retrieval member 2346 moves along the track 2344 to position thecarrier 2350 adjacent to the packaged articles 2312 at different heightsor rows of the shelving system 2320. The first and second linkagemembers 2347A and 2347B position the carrier 2350 adjacent to thepackaged articles 2312 at different columns of the shelving system 2320,and move the carrier 2350 towards and away from the shelving system 2320to grasp the packaged articles 2312.

The carrier 2350 may grasp the packaged articles 2312 through differentmeans and may include a gripper or claw. As shown in FIG. 23B, thecarrier 2350 includes a gripper 2352 having a pair of articulablemembers 2354 to engage a feature of the packaged articles 2312, such assides of the packaged articles 2312. The articulable members 2354 may bea shaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, a tube, an arm, and the like. Thearticulable members 2354 may move toward and away from another. In someembodiments, the articulable members 2354 include grips configured togrip the packaged article 2312. For example, the grips may be made of aslip-resistant or anti-slip material. The articulable members 2354attach to a body, which may contain an opening actuator (not shown)configured to open and close the articulable members 2354 of the carrier2350. The support member 2342 is coupled to the housing 2302, such as afloor or a shelf of the housing. The first linkage member 2347A isorthogonal to the support member 2342, the second axis 2315B is parallelto the first axis 2315A, and the third axis 2315C is orthogonal to thesecond axis 2315B. The motion system 2340 includes several actuationsystems (not shown) to move retrieval member 2346 on the track 2344,rotate the support member 2342 about the first axis 2315A, rotate thesecond linkage member 2347B about the second axis 2315B, rotate thecarrier 2350 about the third axis 2315C, rotate the carrier 2350 aboutthe third axis 2315C, and move the articulable members 2354. Theactuation systems may be similar to those discussed in relation to FIGS.21D-21P. For example, the actuation system to move retrieval member 2346on the track 2344 may be similar to the second actuation systems 2152discussed in relation to FIGS. 21K and 21L or the third actuation system2132 discussed in relation to FIG. 21F. In some embodiments, theactuation system to move retrieval member 2346 may include linearactuators such as a mechanical or electro-mechanical linear actuators,belt-drive actuators, hydraulic linear actuators, pneumatic linearactuators, or piezoelectric linear actuators. The actuation systems torotate the support member 2342, the second linkage member 2347B, and thecarrier 2350 include a rotary actuator such as a rack-and-pinionactuator, a vane actuator, a helix actuator, a planetary actuator, alinear cylinder, a scotch-yoke actuator, a sprocket actuator, a bladderactuator, a direct-drive motor, and the like.

The article personalization system 2306 is similar to the articlepersonalization system 2206 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A, except asnoted, and includes a plurality of system components 2360 such as anarticle preparation system 2360A, a DTG printer 2360B, and a curingsystem 2360C. The system components 2360 are positioned and orientedwithin reach of a transfer system 2308, which in the embodiment depictedin FIG. 23A is the motion system 2340. In some embodiments, the transfersystem 2308 is similar to the transfer system 2208 discussed in relationto FIG. 22A. The control system 2390 controls the kiosk 2300, similar tothe control system 2190 discussed in relation to FIG. 21A. The systemcomponents 2360 depicted in FIG. 23A are for illustrative purposes andthe actual system components 2360 may have any shape, such as previouslydiscussed in relation to the system components 2160 in FIG. 21A.

The kiosk 2300 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in asimilar manner as the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B.

In some embodiments, the first linkage member 2347A is rotatably coupledto the support member 2342 and rotates about the support member 2342.For example, the first linkage member 2347A may couple to the supportmember 2342 through a collar. The collar may include a rotary actuatorto rotate the first linkage member 2347A about the support member 2342.In some embodiments, the support member 2342 does not rotate.

In some embodiments, other means of grasping may be used. Thearticulable members 2354 may use self-centering springs,electromagnetism, or electrostatic adhesion to grasp the packagedarticle 2312. In some embodiments, the opening actuator may be amechanical, an electromechanical, a hydraulic, a pneumatic, or apiezoelectric actuator. In some embodiments, the carrier 2350 may besoft grippers that include an outer skin made of rubber or similarmaterial. In one embodiment, the gripper fingers may include surfacefeatures that enhance the ability for the grippers to grab the packagedarticle 2312. In some embodiments, the carrier 2350 may be a conveyorbelt that items can be loaded onto and ejected from. In someembodiments, one of the articulable members 2354 may move while theother remains stationary.

In some embodiments, the packaged articles 2312 are housed in theshelving system 2220 discussed in relation to FIG. 22O.

In some embodiments, the motion system 2340 comprises a direct-driverobot. In some embodiments, the motion system 2240 discussed in relationto FIGS. 22A and 22O may be used with the kiosk 2300. In someembodiments, the shelving units 2221A and 2221B discussed in relation toFIG. 22N are used and the motion system 2340 positions the carrier 2350to grasp the packaged articles 2312. In some embodiments, the shelvingsystem 2221 discussed in relation to FIG. 22N may be used instead of theshelving system 2320.

FIG. 23B depicts a cross-sectional top view of the shelving unit 2320A,according to some embodiments.

Each row 2322 of the shelving unit 2320A contains a first dispensersystem 2321A and a second dispenser system 2321B. The first dispensersystem 2321A is positioned in front of the second dispenser system2321B. The first and second dispenser systems 2321A and 2321B eachcomprise the dispenser portion 2324, a supply device 2326, and adispenser actuator 2328, similar to the shelving unit 2220A discussed inrelation to FIGS. 22B and 22C. The dispenser portions 2324 of the firstand second dispenser systems 2321A and 2321B are adjacent to another andwithin reach of the motion system 2340. Each dispenser portion 2324 usesa dispenser actuator 2328 to present the packaged articles 2312 to themotion system 2340 through an opening 2325 formed by the shelving unit2320A. The supply devices 2326 each use a compliant mechanism 2327A anda movable element 2327B to move another packaged article 2312 in the row2322 to the dispenser portions 2324.

The shelving unit 2320B is similar to the shelving unit 2320A, and asshown in FIG. 23A, is a mirror of the shelving unit 2320A.

FIG. 23C depicts a cross-sectional top view of a shelving units 2380,according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 23C shows theshelving unit 2380, which is similar to the shelving unit 2320Adiscussed in relation to FIG. 23B and the shelving unit 2280A discussedin relation to FIGS. 22D-22E and 22G-22I, except as noted. The shelvingunit 2380 may be part of the shelving system 2320 (FIG. 23A).

The shelving unit 2380 includes several rows 2382 (one of which isshown) of packaged articles 2312 (FIGS. 23E-23G). Each row 2382 has twodispenser portions 2384 at one end, a supply device 2386, and adispenser actuator (e.g., multi-directional conveyor system 2388). Thepackaged articles 2312 travel between the dispenser portions 2384 andthrough a first aisle 2381A and a second aisle 2381B formed by the row2322 using the supply device 2386, which includes conveyor belt systems2387 and multi-directional conveyor systems 2388. A multi-directionalconveyor system 2388 moves the packaged articles 2312 (FIGS. 23E-23G)between the first and second aisles 2381A and 2381B. The conveyor beltsystems 2387 are similar to the conveyor belt system 2287 discussed inrelation to FIG. 22D and move the packaged articles 2312 in a firstdirection 2389A or a second direction 2389B. The multi-directionalconveyor systems 2388 are similar to the multi-directional conveyorsystems 2288 discussed in relation to FIG. 22D and include a firstplurality of motorized wheels 2383A that rotate in the first direction2389A and a second plurality of wheels 2383B that rotate in the seconddirection 2389B. The multi-directional conveyor systems 2388 are used totransfer the packaged articles 2312 to and from the conveyor beltsystems 2387 and to convert a motion of the packaged articles 2312between the first direction 2389A and the second direction 2389B. Thefirst direction 2389A is orthogonal to the second direction 2389B. Thedispenser portions are used to receive or dispense the packaged articles2312.

FIG. 23D is a flow diagram that illustrates a method 2398 for moving thepackaged articles 2312 through a shelving unit 2380A, according toembodiments described herein. FIGS. 23E-23G schematically illustrate across-sectional view of the packaged articles 2312 at differentoperations 2399 of the method 2398 depicted in FIG. 23D, according tosome embodiments. Therefore, FIG. 23D and FIGS. 23E-23G are hereindescribed together for clarity.

The method 2398 shown in FIG. 23D begins at operation 2399A by moving afirst packaged article 2318A from a first position 2319A through a firstopening 2385A formed by the shelving unit 2380. FIG. 23E depicts theoperation 2399A and shows the multi-directional conveyor system 2388moving the first packaged article 2318A in the first direction 2389A(and towards the motion system 2340 as discussed in relation to FIG.23B) by rotating only the first plurality of motorized wheels 2383A. Thefirst position 2319A is adjacent to the first opening 2385A and at thedispenser portion 2384 at the first end of the row 2322 (FIG. 23C).

The method 2398 shown in FIG. 23D continues to operation 2399B withretrieving the first packaged article 2318A using the carrier 2350 ofthe motion system 2340. Although discussed in relation to the shelvingunit 2320A, FIG. 23B depicts an example of the operation 2399B and showsthe motion system 2340 retrieving the packaged article 2312. The motionsystem 2340 may similarly retrieve the first packaged article 2318A fromthe shelving unit 2380A discussed in relation to FIG. 23E.

The method 2398 shown in FIG. 23D continues to operation 2399C withmoving remaining packaged articles 2312 in the row 2322 through thefirst and second aisles 2381A and 2381B and towards the first position2319A until a second packaged article 2318B is in the first position2319A. FIG. 23F depicts the operation 2399C and shows themulti-directional conveyor systems 2388 and the conveyor belt systems2387 (both hidden by the packaged articles 2312) moving the packagedarticles 2312 in the first and second directions 2389A and 2389B towardsthe first position 2319A. The multi-directional conveyor system 2388moves the second packaged article 2318B to the first position 2319A byrotating only the second plurality of motorized wheels 2383B. The secondpackaged article 2318B is shown in the first position 2319A adjacent tothe first opening 2382A.

The method 2398 shown in FIG. 23D continues to operation 2399D withinserting a third packaged article 2318C into a second opening 2385Bformed by the shelving unit 2380. The second opening 2385B may beadjacent to the first opening 2385A. FIG. 23G depicts the operation2399D and shows the third packaged article 2318C moving through thesecond opening 2385B. The motion system 2340 (not shown) may insert thethird packaged article 2318C into the second opening 2385B such that thethird packaged article 2318C at least partially rests on themulti-directional conveyor system 2388. The multi-directional conveyorsystem 2388 moves the third packaged article 2318C in the firstdirection 2389A (and away from the motion system 2340) by rotating onlythe first plurality of motorized wheels 2383A.

The method 2398 shown in FIG. 23D continues to operation 2399E by movingthe third packaged article 2318C to a second position 2319B. The secondposition 2319B is adjacent to the second opening 2385B. Although notexpressly shown in FIG. 23G, the third packaged article 2318C ispositioned in the second position 2319B adjacent to the second opening2385B similar to how the second packaged article 2318B is positioned inthe first position 2319A in FIG. 23F. The second position 2319B is atthe dispenser portion 2384 at the second end of the row 2322 (FIG. 23C).

The method 2398 may be used to manage an inventory of packaged articles2312 in the shelving unit 2380 in a similar manner as the method 2298discussed in relation to FIGS. 22G-22I. The method 2398 may be used tosort through packaged articles 2312 having different characteristics toselect a packaged article 2312 for personalization.

In some embodiments, the third packaged article 2318C is the firstpackaged article 2318A.

In some embodiments, the first packaged article 2318A has differentcharacteristics than the second packaged article 2318B, the remainingpackaged articles 2312 in the row 2322 have at least two differentcharacteristics, and the packaged articles 2312 and/or 2318B are movedfrom the first position to the second position until a packaged article2312 having desired characteristics is positioned in the first position.

Some embodiments further include personalizing the packaged article 2312having desired characteristics using the plurality of system components2360 of an article personalization system 2306. In such embodiments, thesystem components comprise the article preparation system 2360A, the DTGprinter 2360B, and the curing system 2360C.

Some embodiments further include personalizing the first packagedarticle 2318A using the plurality of system components 2360 of anarticle personalization system 2306. In such embodiments, the systemcomponents 2360 comprise the article preparation system 2360A, the DTGprinter 2360B, and the curing system 2360C and the packaged articles2312 each comprise a packaging and an article.

Some embodiments further include removing an article of the firstpackaged article 2318A from a packaging of the first packaged article2318A. In such embodiments, the third packaged article 2318C is thepackaging of the first packaged article 2318A.

The shelving unit 2380 discussed in relation to FIGS. 23C-23G is anembodiment of a shelving unit that may be part of the shelving system2320. A mirrored-version of the shelving unit 2380 may also be used bythe shelving system 2320. The mirrored-version of the shelving unit 2380is similar to the shelving unit 2380 in the same manner as the shelvingunit 2320B is similar to the shelving unit 2320A. For example, themirrored-version of the shelving unit 2380 contains the same disclosedfeatures as the shelving unit 2380, except the features are mirroredfrom what is shown in FIGS. 23C and 23E-23G.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Pneumatic Retrieval System

FIG. 24A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk2400, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2400 (referred to as the kiosk 2400)is similar to the kiosks discussed in relation to previous figures,except as noted. For example, the kiosk 2400 includes a housing 2402.Disposed within the housing 2402 are an article retrieval system 2404,an article unpacking system 2405, an article personalization system2406, and a transfer system 2408. The kiosk 2400 further includes adispenser 2410 and a control system 2490.

The article retrieval system 2404 includes a shelving system 2420 and amotion system 2440 to house and to retrieve a plurality of packagedarticles 2412 to be personalized by the kiosk 2400. The packagedarticles 2412 are the packaged article 805P discussed in relation toFIG. 15 , although the kiosk 2400 may be configured to use packagedarticles having the container 840 and other packaging and articlesdiscussed herein, such as the packaging 601 and the article 605discussed in relation to FIGS. 10 and 11 , such as the packaging 901 andthe article 905 discussed in relation to FIGS. 16-18 . The shelvingsystem 2420 may be a rotatable shelving system 2421 as discussed inrelation to FIGS. 24B and 24C, or a rotatable shelving system 2425 asdiscussed in relation to FIG. 24F. The motion system 2440 is coupled tothe housing 2402, such as to a ceiling of the housing 2402, and isdiscussed in relation to FIGS. 24D and 24E.

The article personalization system 2406 is similar to the articlepersonalization system 2206 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A, except asnoted. The article personalization system 2406 includes a plurality ofsystem components 2460 such as an article preparation system 2460A, aDTG printer 2460B, and a curing system 2460C. The system components 2460are positioned and oriented within reach of a transfer system 2408,which transfers the packaged articles 2412 between the system components2460. The system components 2460 depicted in FIG. 24A are forillustrative purposes and the actual system components 2460 may have anyshape, such as previously discussed in relation to the system components2160 in FIG. 21A.

The transfer system 2408 includes a pneumatic tube 2470 having apropulsion source 2471A and a hatch 2471B, and further includes arobotic arm 2472. The hatch 2471B is opened and closed to remove orinsert the packaged articles 2412 and to seal the pneumatic tube 2470.The pneumatic tube 2470 is supported by a tube support 2469 coupled tothe shelving system 2420, and in some embodiments, may be coupled to thehousing 2402. The motion system 2440 delivers a packaged article 2412 ofthe packaged articles 2412 to the pneumatic tube 2470. The pneumatictube 2470 uses the propulsion source 2471A, such as a vacuum pump and/ora compressed air supply, to transport the packaged article 2412 to thearticle unpacking system 2405.

The article unpacking system 2405 includes a receiving station 2474 andan unpacking station 2476. The receiving station 2474 receives thepackaged article 2412 from the pneumatic tube 2470. The unpackingstation 2476 removes articles and packaging from tubes 2413B (thearticles and packaging are referred to as unpackaged articles 2413A onceremoved from the tube 2413B) and prepares the unpackaged articles 2413Afor processing by the article personalization system 2406. For example,the unpacking station 2476 unrolls the unpackaged article 2413A using arobotic arm, a gripper, and a gravitational force. In some embodiments,the unpacking station 2476 includes a platform or table and unrolls theunpackaged article 2413A by placing it on the platform or table andpushing it with a robotic arm. In some embodiments, the unpackingstation 2476 may use a roller or pinch rollers to unroll the unpackagedarticle 2413A. In the depicted embodiment, the tubes 2413B are thecontainer 840 discussed in relation to FIGS. 13-15 . The robotic arm2472 transports the unpackaged articles 2413A from the receiving station2474 and between the system components 2460, such as from the receivingstation 2474 to the article preparation system 2460A, such as betweenarticle preparation system 2460A, the DTG printer 2460B, and the curingsystem 2460C, such as from the system components 2460 to the dispenser2410. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 2472 positions the packagedarticles 2412 on the system components 2460. In the depicted embodiment,the unpackaged article 2413A includes the packaging 801 and the article805 discussed in relation to FIGS. 13-15 . In some embodiments, such aswhere the packaged article 2412 is the packaged article 805P (FIG. 15 ),the robotic arm 2472 grasps the hanger 810 and/or the bottom supportmember 850 of the unpackaged article 2413A to transport the unpackagedarticle 2413A.

The control system 2490 controls the kiosk 2400, similar to the controlsystem 2190 discussed in relation to FIG. 21A.

The kiosk 2400 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in asimilar manner as the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B.

In some embodiments, the receiving station 2474 comprises the unpackingstation 2476. In some embodiments, the receiving station 2474 includes aconveyor system, such as a conveyor belt or a lift. The conveyor systemallows the receiving station 2474 to deliver the packaged articles 2412to the unpacking station 2476. In some embodiments, the conveyor systemdelivers the unpackaged articles 2413A to the transfer system 2408and/or the system components 2460. In some embodiments, the articleunpacking system 2405 comprises a robotic arm or grippers for unpackingthe article and moving the unpackaged article 2413A.

In some embodiments, the transfer system 2408 comprises the motionsystem 2440. In such embodiments, there is no robotic arm 2472 and themotion system 2440 moves the unpackaged articles 2413A between thesystem components 2460. In some embodiments, the receiving station 2474is a conveyor system, such as the conveyor belt system 2287 or themulti-directional conveyor system 2288 discussed in relation to FIGS.22D-22E and 22G-22I. In some embodiments, the shelving system 2420dispenses the packaged articles 2412 to the conveyor system by droppingthe packaged articles 2412 on the conveyor system. The conveyor systemmoves the packaged articles 2412 to the pneumatic tube 2470 to betransported to the hatch 2471B. The motion system 2440 unpacks thepackaged articles 2412 and moves the unpackaged articles 2413A betweenthe system components 2460.

In some embodiments, the pneumatic tube 2470 moves the tubes 2413B to astorage system (not shown) to be later evaluated by an operator. In someembodiments, the pneumatic tube 2470 may be used to move the packagedarticle 2412 between the system components 2460. In such embodiments, arobotic arm or grippers may be used at each outlet of the pneumatic tube2470 to unpack the article and move the unpackaged article 2413A to thesystem components 2460. In some embodiments, the article unpackingsystem 2405 is disposed at each outlet of the pneumatic tube 2470. Insome embodiments, the article unpacking system 2405 further comprises anarticle repacking system to re-pack the unpackaged article 2413A intothe tube 2413B.

FIG. 24B-24C depict side and front views of the rotatable shelvingsystem 2421, according to some embodiments.

The rotatable shelving system 2421 (referred to as shelving system 2421)includes a casing 2422, a plurality of rotatable carousels 2424 ofpackaged articles 2412, and a motorized system 2426. The casing 2422 isnot shown in FIG. 24C for simplicity. The rotatable carousels 2424 aredisposed inside the casing 2422 and include a chain 2427, although insome embodiments a belt or cable may be used. The motorized system 2426moves the rotatable carousels 2424 and includes a motorized gear 2426Aand an idler gear 2426B, although in some embodiments, a motorizedpulley and an idler pulley may be used. The motorized gear 2426A movesthe chain 2427, which in turn moves the rotatable carousels 2424, whichin turn move the plurality of packaged articles 2412 to the motionsystem 2440 when the motion system 2440 retrieves the packaged articles2412, as discussed in relation to FIGS. 24D and 24E.

A shelving actuation system 2428 moves each rotatable carousel 2424 ofthe rotatable carousels 2424 independently of another, whichbeneficially allows the control system 2490 to queue packaged articles2412 into each rotatable carousel 2424. In some embodiments, therotatable carousels 2424 move together and not independently of another.

FIGS. 24D and 24E depict overhead and front views of the motion system2440, according to some embodiments.

The motion system 2440 includes a pair of guide rail members 2442 havinga first track 2444, a pair of positioning rail members 2446 having asecond track 2448, and a carrier 2450, which is used to grasp thepackaged articles 2412. The rail members 2442 and 2446 may be a shaft, arail, a bar, a beam, a tube, a column, a pillar, and the like. Thetracks 2444 and 2448 may be a groove in or an extension on the railmembers 2442 and 2446, respectively. For example, the first track 2444may be a rack gear, an I-beam or cutouts of an I-beam. In someembodiments, the guide rail members 2442 forms a first channel withinthat runs a length of the guide rail members 2442 and the first track2444 is a second channel extending from the first channel through anouter surface of the guide rail members 2442.

The carrier 2450 includes a carriage 2451, a gripper 2452, and anextendable (or telescoping) member 2453 that connects the gripper 2452to the carriage 2451. The carrier 2450 is positioned near the packagedarticles 2412 by moving the positioning rail members 2446 on the firsttrack 2444 and the carrier 2450 on the second track 2448 via thecarriage 2451. The gripper 2452 is positioned near or adjacent to thepackaged articles 2412 via the extendable member 2453. The gripper 2452includes articulable members 2454 that rotate to grasp the packagedarticles 2412. In some embodiments, the articulable members 2454 movetoward and away from another, similar to the movement of the carrier2350 discussed in relation to FIG. 23A. The gripper 2452 is rotatablycoupled to the carriage 2451, such as through a joint and/or anactuation system, and rotates about an axis 2415. In some embodiments,only one positioning rail member 2446 is used. In some embodiments, theextendable members 2453 may include nested rails, bars, tubes, beams,and the like. In some embodiments, the extendable members 2453 may besimilar to the telescoping members 2130 discussed in relation to FIGS.21D-21G or the retrieval member 2246 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A.

The guide rail members 2442 are in a substantially parallelrelationship. The positioning rail members 2446 are in a substantiallyparallel relationship and are orthogonal to the guide rail members 2442.The motion system 2440 includes several actuation systems (not shown) tomove the positioning rail members 2446 on the first track 2444, move thecarrier 2450 on the second track 2448, move the extendable member 2453in a direction orthogonal to the rail members 2442 and 2446, rotate thegripper 2452 about an axis 2415, and move the articulable members 2454.The actuation systems may be similar to those discussed in relation toFIGS. 21K-21P.

FIG. 24F depicts a cross-sectional side view of a rotatable shelvingsystem 2425, according to some embodiments. The rotatable shelvingsystem 2425 (referred to as shelving system 2425) is similar to theshelving system 2421, except as noted, and may used with, or instead ofthe rotatable shelving systems 2420 and/or 2421.

The packaged articles 2412 are removably coupled to the chain 2427though a friction-fit coupling 2426C. The friction-fit coupling 2426Cforms a C-shaped notch that engages a feature of the packaged articles2412 using an interference fit. The motorized system 2426 furtherincludes a de-coupling actuator 2426D to de-couple the packaged articles2412 from the coupling 2426C. For example, rotation of the rotatablecarousel 2424 is stopped at a desired packaged article 2412. Thede-coupling actuator 2426D pushes the desired packaged article 2412 toremove it from the coupling 2426C. The casing 2422 forms an opening2423A and includes a chute 2423B. The de-coupling actuator 2426D pushesthe desired packaged article 2412 through the opening 2423A and to thechute 2423B, which guides the desired packaged article 2412 to thepneumatic tube 2470. The pneumatic tube 2470 receives the desiredpackaged article 2412 through a hatch 2471B. The control system 2490opens and closes the hatch 2471B to seal the pneumatic tube 2470. Insome embodiments, such as depicted in FIG. 24A, the packaged article2412 may form the seal with the pneumatic tube 2470.

In some embodiments, the C-shaped notch of the coupling 2426C does notuse an interference fit to engage the packaged articles 2412. Forexample, the C-shaped notch may be larger than the feature of thepackaged articles 2412 and gravity may retain the feature in theC-shaped notch. In some embodiments, the coupling 2426C couples to thepackaged articles 2412 using a magnet that engages a magnet of thepackaged articles 2412.

In some embodiments, the shelving system 2425 is used without the motionsystem 2440. In some embodiments, the chute 2423B of the shelving system2425 comprises a lip to hold the packaged articles 2412 in place for themotion system 2440 to grasp. In some embodiments, the transfer system2408 comprises the motion system 2440 and there is no robotic arm 2472.In some embodiments, there is no motion system 2440.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Storage Rail Retrieval System

FIG. 25A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk2500, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2500 (referred to as the kiosk 2500)is similar to the kiosks discussed in relation to previous figures,except as noted. For example, the kiosk 2500 includes a housing 2502.Disposed within the housing 2502 are an article retrieval system 2504,an article personalization system 2506, and a transfer system 2508. Thekiosk 2500 further includes a dispenser 2510 and a control system 2590.The transfer system 2508 is not fully shown in FIG. 25A for simplicity,and is discussed in relation to FIGS. 25H and 251 .

The article retrieval system 2504 includes a shelving system 2520 tohouse and to retrieve a plurality of packaged articles 2512 to bepersonalized by the kiosk 2500, a motion system 2540 to retrieve thepackaged articles 2512, and a sensor 2514 to identify each packagedarticle 2512 of the packaged articles 2512. The packaged articles 2512include the packaging 1001 and article 1005 discussed in relation toFIGS. 19 and 20 , although the kiosk 2500 may be configured to usepackaged articles having other packaging and articles discussed herein,such as the packaging 601 and the article 605 discussed in relation toFIG. 10 , such as the packaging 701 and the article 705 discussed inrelation to FIGS. 12A and 12B, such as the packaging 801 and the article805 discussed in relation to FIG. 13 , such as the packaging 901 and thearticle 905 discussed in relation to FIGS. 16-18 . The shelving system2520 includes a storage rail 2542 forming a channel 2544 (shown in FIGS.25B and 25C) and a delivery rail 2546 having a first end 2547A and asecond end 2547B. The first end 2547A is positioned near the storagerail 2542 and the second end 2547B is positioned near the transfersystem 2508. The rails 2542 and 2546 may include a shaft, a rail, atube, a beam, and the like. The storage rail 2542 stores the packagedarticles 2512 that are to be personalized by the article personalizationsystem 2506. The delivery rail 2546 moves the packaged articles 2512from the storage rail 2542 to a transfer system 2508 to be personalized.The shelving system 2520 is coupled to the housing 2502, such as to afloor, platform, ceiling, or side of the housing 2502. For example, therails 2542 and 2546 may couple to the housing through a post, bracket,or a fixture.

The motion system 2540 is partially disposed within the shelving system2520, such as within the channel 2544 of the storage rail 2546, andmoves the packaged articles 2512 around the storage rail 2542, asdiscussed in relation to FIG. 25C. The motion system 2540 includes acarrier 2550 to move the packaged articles 2512 from the storage rail2542 to the delivery rail 2546. The carrier 2550 includes a gripper 2552to grasp the packaged articles 2512 before moving the packaged articles2512. The gripper 2552 includes articulable members 2554 that move tograsp the packaged articles 2512. The articulable members 2554 may be ashaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, a tube, an arm, and the like. In someembodiments, the articulable members 2554 may be similar to thearticulable members 2354 discussed in relation to FIG. 23A. In someembodiments, the articulable members 2554 may be similar to thearticulable members 2454 discussed in relation to FIGS. 24D and 24E. Thecarrier 2550 is positioned near, adjacent to, or above a location wherethe delivery rail 2546 is closest to the storage rail 2542. The motionsystem 2540 is further discussed in relation to FIGS. 25C and 25D.

The article personalization system 2506 is similar to the articlepersonalization system 2206 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A, except asnoted. The article personalization system 2506 includes a plurality ofsystem components 2560 such as an article preparation system 2560A, DTGprinters 2560B, and a curing system 2560C. The system components 2560depicted in FIG. 25A are for illustrative purposes and the actual systemcomponents 2560 may have any shape, such as previously discussed inrelation to the system components 2160 in FIG. 21A. The systemcomponents 2560 are positioned and oriented within reach of the transfersystem 2508. The transfer system 2508 transfers the packaged articles2512 between the system components 2560. The transfer system 2508includes a receiving station 2574 to receive the packaged articles 2512from the delivery rail 2546.

The control system 2590 controls the kiosk 2500, similar to the controlsystem 2190 discussed in relation to FIG. 21A. The control system 2590uses the sensor 2514 to control the carrier 2550, such as to selectivelymove a to-be-personalized packaged article 2512 from the storage rail2542 to the delivery rail 2546. For example, the packaged articles 2512include an identification feature 2516, such as a bar code, QR code,near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification(RFID) tag, and the like, to identify characteristics of the packagedarticle 2512. If the packaged article is a t-shirt, than thecharacteristics may include shirt size, color, shirt type (e.g., longsleeve, short sleeve, v-neck, collared, polo, etc.), material type(e.g., cotton or a blend of cotton and other materials such as polyesterand/or rayon, bamboo, hemp, etc.), shirt fit (e.g., fitted, modern fit,big and tall, etc.), and the like. The sensor 2514 is a non-contactsensor and scans or reads the packaged articles 2512 to determine thecharacteristics of each article. The control system 2590 uses thecharacteristics to choose an article to personalize based on an orderfrom a user. The sensor may couple to the housing 2502, such as througha bracket or a fixture.

The kiosk 2500 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in asimilar manner as the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B.

In some embodiments, the control system 2590 may reference a database todetermine the characteristics of the packaged articles 2512. In someembodiments, the characteristics may be contained within theidentification feature 2516.

In some embodiments, the kiosk 2500 may include more than one of any ofthe system components 2560. In some embodiments, the system components2560 include only one DTG printer 2560B.

In some embodiments, the article retrieval system 2504 includes anoverhead conveyor. In some embodiments, the article retrieval system2504 includes a round track conveyor. In some embodiments, the articleretrieval system 2504 includes a cross-track conveyor. In someembodiments, the article retrieval system 2504 includes an I-beamtrolley conveyor. In some embodiments, the article retrieval system 2504includes an asynchronous conveyor, such as a power and free conveyor ora friction-driven conveyor. In some embodiments, the article retrievalsystem 2504 includes a garment conveyor.

FIGS. 25B and 25C depict top and front views of the article retrievalsystem 2504, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 25Bshows a top view of the carrier 2550 moving a packaged article 2512 fromthe storage rail 2542 to the delivery rail 2546.

The motion system 2540 further includes a drive system 2530 to move thepackaged articles 2512 around the storage rail 2542. The drive system2530 is disposed in the channel 2544 of the storage rail 2542. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 25B, the drive system 2530 includes aplurality of translation members 2534 coupled to a cable 2532 thatprotrude outward from the storage rail 2542. The translation members2534 may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, a tube, a tab, and the like.The translation members 2534 may be welded to, fastened to usingfasteners, adhered to, or unitarily formed as part of the cable 2532. Anactuation system moves the cable 2532 through the channel 2544, which inturns moves the translation members 2534, which in turn pushes thepackaged articles 2512 around the storage rail 2542. For example, ahanger 2513A of the packaged articles 2512 rests on the storage rail2542 and the translation members 2534 push the hanger 2513A of thepackaged article 2512. In some embodiments, the drive system 2530includes chain or a belt. In the depicted embodiment, the hanger 2513Ais the hanger frame 1010 discussed in relation to FIGS. 19 and 20 .

The control system 2590 associates the translation members 2534 with thecharacteristics of the packaged articles 2512 being moved. When an orderis placed by a user, the carrier 2550 grasps a packaged article 2512 andmoves the packaged article 2512 to the delivery rail 2546. A first gap2513B formed by the packaged article 2512, such as in the hanger 2513A,allows the carrier 2550 to remove the packaged article 2512 from thestorage rail 2542. A second gap 2545 formed between the storage rail2542 and the first end 2547A of the delivery rail 2546 allows the hanger2513A of the packaged article 2512 to be placed on the delivery rail2546. The packaged article 2512 moves down the delivery rail 2546through gravity, and stops at the second end 2547B (FIG. 25A) of thedelivery rail 2546, for example, through a frictional force or a bycontacting a mechanical stop such as a protrusion or tab. In someembodiments, the packaged article 2512 does not stop at the second end2547B and instead falls on the receiving station 2574 (FIG. 25A).

In some embodiments, the hanger 2513A may be the retractable hanger 610(FIG. 10 ), the stiffener 710 (FIGS. 12A and 12B), the hanger 810 (FIG.13 ), or the hanger 910 (FIGS. 16-18 ). In embodiments where the hanger2513A is the hanger 810 or the hanger 910, the motion system 2540includes a gripper (e.g., a pincher having prongs or articulable membersto hold the hanger 2513A, or a hook that penetrates the hanger 2513A),there is no delivery rail 2546 rail, and a robotic arm (e.g., therobotic arm 2572A or 2572B) is used to remove the hanger 2513A from themotion system 2540.

FIG. 25C shows a front view of the carrier 2550 moving a packagedarticle 2512 from the storage rail 2542, as discussed in relation toFIG. 25B.

FIGS. 25D and 25E depict a top view of the article retrieval system2504, according to some embodiments. In the depicted embodiment, astorage rail 2562 is used instead of the storage rail 2542. The storagerail 2562 includes a first rail 2564 and a second rail 2566. The secondrail 2566 is positioned above the first rail 2564. The first rail 2564is similar to the storage rail 2542 discussed in relation to FIGS. 25Band 25C, and includes a drive system 2565A disposed in a channel 2565B.The drive system 2565A includes a plurality of translation members 2565Ccoupled to a cable 2565D that protrude outward from the first rail 2564.The cable 2565D is sized to fit inside the channel 2565B and functionssimilarly to the cable 2532 discussed in relation to FIG. 25C. Thesecond rail 2566 may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, a tube, and thelike.

The packaged articles 2512 are moveably coupled to the second rail 2566,for example, by the hanger 2513A. The drive system 2565A moves thepackaged articles 2512 about the second rail 2566 by pushing thepackaged articles 2512 using the translation members 2565C. The secondrail 2566 includes a rail switch 2567 to move or selectively direct thepackaged articles from the storage rail 2562 to the delivery rail 2546.For example, when a packaged article 2512 is positioned on the railswitch 2567, the rail switch 2567 rotates towards the first end 2547A ofthe delivery rail 2546 and the packaged article 2512 slides onto thedelivery rail 2546. The translation members 2565C protrude from thefirst rail 2564 and are angled towards the delivery rail 2546, whichallows the translation members 2565C to maintain contact with thepackaged articles 2512 while the rail switch 2567 rotates towards thedelivery rail 2546. The control system 2590 uses the sensor 2514 todetermine when to rotate the rail switch 2567, similar to how thecontrol system 2590 moves the carrier 2550 as discussed in relation toFIG. 25A.

FIG. 25F depicts a front view of the article retrieval system 25 04 fromFIG. 25D, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 25F shows afront view of rail switch 2567 moving the packaged article 2512 from thestorage rail 2562, as discussed in relation to FIGS. 25B and 25C.

FIG. 25G depicts a side view of the transfer system 2508 of the kiosk2500, according to some embodiments.

In the depicted embodiment, the transfer system 2508 includes a roboticarm 2572A moveably coupled to the receiving station 2574. The roboticarm 2572A is slidably mounted to the receiving station 2574 and movesthe packaged articles 2512 between the receiving station 2574 and thesystem components 2560 and between the system components 2560. Forexample, the robotic arm 2572A is coupled to a rail of the receivingstation 2574 and moves along a track of the rail, such as the rails andtracks discussed in relation to previous figures. The robotic arm 2572Aalso delivers the packaged articles 2512 to the dispenser 2510 afterpersonalization. The track runs a length (L) of the receiving station2574. An actuation system, such as one of the actuation systemsdiscussed in relation to previous figures, moves the robotic arm alongthe track. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 2572A is similar to therobotic arm 2472 discussed in relation to FIG. 24A.

FIG. 25H depicts a side view of the transfer system 2508 of the kiosk2500, according to some embodiments.

In the depicted embodiment, the transfer system 2508 includes at leasttwo of robotic arms 2572B to move the packaged articles 2512 between thereceiving station 2574 and the system components 2560 and between thesystem components 2560. The robotic arms 2572B are coupled to thehousing 2502, such as to a floor, platform, sidewall, or a ceiling ofthe housing 2502. Each of the robotic arms 2572B are positioned suchthat the robotic arms 2572B collectively access all of the systemcomponents 2560 and the dispenser 2510. In some embodiments, the eachrobotic arm 2572B is similar to the robotic arm 2472 discussed inrelation to FIG. 24A.

In some embodiments, the receiving station 2574 includes a conveyorsystem, such as a conveyor belt or a lift. The conveyor system allowsthe receiving station 2574 to deliver the packaged articles 2512 to therobotic arms 2572B. In some embodiments, such as the embodimentdiscussed in relation to FIG. 25G, the conveyor system may move therobotic arm 2572A along the length of the receiving station 2574.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Automaton Retrieval System

FIG. 26A depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk2600, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2600 (referred to as the kiosk 2600)is similar to the kiosks discussed in relation to previous figures,except as noted. For example, the kiosk 2600 includes a housing 2602.Disposed within the housing 2602 are an article retrieval system 2604,an article personalization system 2606, and a transfer system 2608. Thekiosk 2600 further includes a dispenser 2610 and a control system 2690.

The article retrieval system 2604 includes a shelving system 2620 and amotion system 2640 to house and to retrieve a plurality of packagedarticles 2612 to be personalized by the kiosk 2600. The packagedarticles 2612 include the packaging 101 and article 105 discussed inrelation to FIGS. 2-4 , although the kiosk 2600 may be configured to usepackaged articles having other packaging and articles discussed herein,such as the packaging 201 and the article 205 discussed in relation toFIGS. 5A and 5B, such as the packaging 301 and the article 305 discussedin relation to FIGS. 6 and 7 , such as the packaging 401 and article 405discussed in relation to FIGS. 8A and 8B, such as the packaging 501 andarticle 505 discussed in relation to FIGS. 9A-9C, such as the packaging701 and article 705 discussed in relation to FIGS. 12A and 12B. Theshelving system 2620 includes a plurality of columns 2622 (orcompartments) of the packaged articles 2612 and dispenses the packagedarticles 2612 onto a receiving station 2624, which is part of the motionsystem 2640. In the depicted embodiment, the receiving station 2624includes a table. In some embodiments, the table may be padded. In someembodiments, the receiving station 2624 includes a conveyor system, suchas a conveyor belt or a lift. The conveyor system allows the receivingstation 2624 to retrieve the packaged articles 2612 from the shelvingsystem 2620 and/or deliver the packaged articles 2612 to the motionsystem 2640.

The motion system 2640 includes a robot 2642 coupled to a guidance track2644. The guidance track 2644 is coupled to a platform 2603 of thehousing 2602. The robot moves along the guidance track 2644 to retrievethe packaged articles 2612 from the receiving station 2624 and deliverthe packaged articles 2612 to the system components 2660. The robot 2642includes a base 2646A, a body 2646B that rotates in relation to the base2646A, and a head 2646C that rotates in relation to the body 2646B. Thebase 2646A, body 2646B, and head 2646C are disposed on a first axis2614A. Wheels 2647 are coupled to the base 2646A, for example, though anaxle or a drive train of a drive system (not shown). The wheels 2647move the robot 2642 to different locations on the guidance track 2644,such as to retrieve packaged articles 2612 dispensed at differentlocations on the receiving station 2624. Thus, the guidance track 2644is adjacent to or borders the receiving station 2624. A drive system (ormotor) moves the wheels 2647 on the guidance track 2644. The drivesystem may be a DC motor, pneumatic motor, hydraulic motor, industrialservo, stepper motor, and the like. The wheels 2647 couple to theguidance track 2644 through a complementary shape. For example, if theguidance track 2644 is an I-beam, the wheel contacts an upper surfaceand a side surface of a flange of the I-beam. If the guidance track 2644includes a recess (e.g., a notch or groove), the wheel includes aprotrusion to penetrate the recess. If the guidance track 2644 includesa protrusion, the wheel includes a recess to partially surround theprotrusion.

Articulable members 2643 are rotatably coupled to the body 2646B. Thearticulable members 2643 may be a shaft, a rail, a bar, a beam, a tube,an arm, and the like. The body 2646B rotates about the first axis 2614A,which allows the articulable members 2643 move to grasp the packagedarticles 2612. For example, the body 2646B rotates to align thearticulable members 2643 to a packaged article 2612 on the receivingstation 2624. The articulable members 2643 rotate about a second axis2614B towards the packaged article 2612 and grasp the packaged article2612 through an interference fit. The second axis 2614B is orthogonal tothe first axis 2614A. The articulable members 2643 may also move towardsand away from another to grasp the packaged article 2612. In someembodiments, the articulable members 2643 may be similar to thearticulable members 2354 discussed in relation to FIG. 23A. In someembodiments, the articulable members 2643 may be similar to thearticulable members 2454 discussed in relation to FIGS. 24D and 24E. Insome embodiments, the articulable members 2643 may be similar to thearticulable members 2554 discussed in relation to FIG. 25A.

The head 2646C includes two eyes 2648. The eyes 2648 contain sensors,such as optical/infrared/ultraviolet cameras, distance/proximitysensors, temperature sensors, motion sensors, color sensors, and thelike. The robot 2642 may use the cameras may be used to navigate theguidance track 2644, detect a presence of a packaged article on thereceiving station 2624, align the packaged articles 2612 at each of thesystem components 2660, evaluate a quality of the packaged articles 2612after processed by a system component 2660, and the like. The robot 2642may use the distance/proximity sensors to navigate the guidance track2644, detect a presence of a packaged article on the receiving station2624, and the like. The robot 2642 may use the temperature and motionsensors to check whether the system components 2660 are finishedprocessing the packaged articles 2612. The robot 2642 may use the colorsensors evaluate a quality of the packaged articles 2612 after processedby a system component 2660. In some embodiments, the head is fixed tothe body 2646B.

The article personalization system 2606 is similar to the articlepersonalization system 2206 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A, except asnoted. The article personalization system 2606 includes a plurality ofsystem components 2660 such as an article preparation system 2660A, DTGprinters 2660B, and a curing system 2660C. The system components 2660depicted in FIG. 26A are for illustrative purposes and the actual systemcomponents 2660 may have any shape, such as previously discussed inrelation to the system components 2160 in FIG. 21A. The systemcomponents 2660 are positioned and oriented within reach of the motionsystem 2640. For example, the system components 2660 are positionedadjacent to the guidance track 2644. In the embodiments depicted in FIG.26A, the guidance tracks 2644 start at the article preparation system2660A, travel around the platform 2603 in a rectangular-shaped pattern,where the curing system 2660C is inside the rectangular, and end at thedispenser 2610. The motion system 2640 transfers the packaged articles2612 between the system components 2660.

The platform 2603 includes a chute 2605B disposed in an opening 2605Aformed by the platform 2603. The chute 2605B provides the robot 2642access to system components 2660 positioned below the platform 2603. Inthe embodiment depicted in FIG. 26A, the DTG printer 2660B is positionedbelow the platform 2603 and the article preparation system 2660A and thecuring system 2660C are positioned above and are coupled to the platform2603. The robot 2642 delivers the packaged articles 2612 to the DTGprinter 2660B through the chute 2605B, for example, after the packagedarticles 2612 are processed by the article preparation system 2660A. Thechute 2605B is further discussed in relation to FIG. 26I.

The dispenser 2610 includes a storage system 2611. The control system2690 may determine a packaged article 2612 is not of a desired qualityand the packaged article 2612 is referred to as a rejected packagedarticle 2613. The control system 2690 directs the robot 2642 to move therejected packaged article 2613 to the storage system 2611. The rejectedpackaged article 2613 may be later evaluated by an operator andrecycled, reused, or disposed. In some embodiments, the robot 2642presents a personalized packaged article 2612 to a user at differentstages of the personalization process, such as presenting a personalizedpackaged article 2616 after the curing system 2660C dries the printedimage or design. The packaged article 2612 may be presented through awindow in the housing 2602. In some embodiments, the window is atransparent pane of material, such as a glass or a polymer/plastic,disposed in the housing 2602. In some embodiments, the window is anopening formed in the housing 2602. In some embodiments, the window is aviewing pane 4004 as discussed in relation to FIGS. 40 and 41 . In someembodiments, the packaged article 2612 is displayed and a projector userinterface, such as discussed in relation to FIGS. 36-39 , uses aprojector to project an image or design to be printed on the packagedarticle 2612, such as discussed in relation to the personalized packagedarticle 2216 in FIG. 22A. The packaged articles 2612 may be presented tothe user to enhance the personalization process or to request approvalfrom the user to continue the personalization process. If the userapproves, the robot moves the personalized packaged article 2612 to thedispenser 2610. If the user does not approve, the robot 2642 moves therejected packaged article 2613 to the storage system 2611.

The control system 2690 controls the kiosk 2600, similar to the controlsystem 2190 discussed in relation to FIG. 21A. The control system 2690uses the sensors in the eyes 2648 of the robot 2642 to control the robot2642, such as to move the packaged articles 2612 between the systemcomponents 2660.

The kiosk 2600 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in asimilar manner as the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B.

In some embodiments, the robot 2642 is coupled to the guidance track2644 without the wheels 2647. For example, the guidance track 2644 maybe a rack gear 2656 (FIG. 26K) the robot 2642 may couple to the guidancetrack 2644 using a motorized pinion gear 2657, as discussed in relationto FIG. 26K. In some embodiments, the robot 2642 couples to the guidancetrack 2644 using the actuation systems 2156 as discussed in relation toFIGS. 21M-21P. In some embodiments, the robot 2642 couples to theguidance track 2644 using the motorized system 2426 and the chain 2427as discussed in relation to FIG. 24B. In some embodiments, the robot2642 couples to the guidance track 2644 using the motion system 2540disposed within the channel 2544 of the storage rail 2546 as discussedin relation to FIGS. 25B and 25C. In some embodiments, the robot 2642 istrackless and does not use the guidance track 2644. For example, therobot 2642 may use sensors, such as the sensors discussed in relation tothe eyes 2648, to navigate the platform 2603.

FIGS. 26B and 26C depict cross-sectional views of shelving systems,according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 26B shows thepackaged articles 2612 disposed in a column 2622 of the shelving system2620.

The packaged articles 2612 are loaded into a top opening 2623 of thecolumn 2622 formed by the shelving system 2620. The packaged articles2612 are stacked on top of another inside the column 2622. A pair ofrotatable arms 2626 hold a bottom packaged article 2615 (also referredto as a to-be-dispensed packaged article) in place when in a firstposition, which in turn hold the packaged articles 2612 on top of thebottom packaged article 2615 in place. When a packaged article 2612 isreleased, the rotatable arms 2626 move away from the bottom packagedarticle 2615 and towards sidewalls 2625 of the column 2622 to a secondposition. When in the second position, the rotatable arms 2626 are flushwith the sidewalls 2625 to allow the bottom packaged article 2615 todrop to the receiving station 2624 (FIG. 26A). The rotatable arms 2626return to the first position when the bottom packaged article 2615clears a movement path of the rotatable arms 2626. The rotatable arms2626 catch a packaged article 2612 that was directly on top of thenow-dispensed bottom packaged article 2615, which is now referred to asa new bottom packaged article 2615, and holds a new bottom packagedarticle 2615 in place.

A shelving actuation system moves the rotatable arms 2626 between thefirst position and the second position. The shelving actuation systemmay be a rotary actuator such as a rack-and-pinion actuator, a vaneactuator, a helix actuator, a planetary actuator, a linear cylinder, ascotch-yoke actuator, a sprocket actuator, a bladder actuator, adirect-drive motor, and the like.

In some embodiments, the packaged articles 2612 in the column 2622 mayhave the same characteristics (e.g., the same shirt size, color, shirttype, material type, and/or shirt fit). Other columns 2622 of theshelving system 2620 may also group the packaged articles 2612 bysimilar characteristics, where each column 2622 houses packaged articles2612 having different characteristics.

In some embodiments, the rotatable arms 2626 are not flush with thesidewalls 2625 when in the second position and are positioned to leaveenough clearance for the bottom packaged article 2615 to drop to thereceiving station 2624 (FIG. 26A) when in the second position. In someembodiments, only one rotatable arm 2626 is used to hold the bottompackaged article 2615 in position.

FIG. 26C shows a shelving system 2630, which may be used with or insteadof the shelving system 2620. The shelving system 2630 is similar to theshelving system 2620, except as noted. The packaged articles 2612 aredisposed in the column 2622 of the shelving system 2630. The shelvingsystem 2630 includes a dispenser shelf 2636 to hold the packagedarticles 2612 instead of the rotatable arms 2626 (FIG. 26B). The bottompackaged article 2615 rests on the dispenser shelf 2636 until the robot2642 retrieves the bottom packaged article 2615. The packaged article2612 that was directly on top of the now-dispensed bottom packagedarticle 2615 then falls on the dispenser shelf 2636.

FIG. 26D is a flow diagram that illustrates a method 2698 for moving thepackaged articles 2612 through a shelving system 2680, according toembodiments described herein. The shelving system 2680 may be used withor instead of the shelving system 2620. FIGS. 26E-26H schematicallyillustrate a cross-sectional view of the packaged articles 2612 atdifferent operations 2699 of the method 2698 depicted in FIG. 26D,according to some embodiments. Therefore, FIG. 26D and FIGS. 26E-26H areherein described together for clarity.

The method 2698 shown in FIG. 26D begins at operation 2699A by releasinga first packaged article 2618A onto the receiving station 2624 from asleeve 2628 of the shelving system 2680. FIG. 26E depicts the operation2699A and shows the sleeve 2628 releasing the first packaged article2618A. The sleeve 2628 is disposed inside the column 2622 formed by theshelving system 2680. The column 2622 is adjacent to the receivingstation 2624. The sleeve 2628 includes the pair of rotatable arms 2626to hold a packaged article 2612 in place as discussed in relation toFIG. 26B.

The method 2698 shown in FIG. 26D continues at operation 2699B withmoving the first packaged article 2618A away from the column 2622 usingthe motion system 2640 and operation 2699C with releasing a secondpackaged article 2618B from the sleeve 2628. FIG. 26F depicts theoperations 2699A and 2699B and shows the receiving station 2624 movingthe first packaged article 2618A using a conveyor system. In thedepicted embodiment, the receiving station 2624 includes the conveyorsystem, which is similar to the conveyor belt system 2287 or themulti-directional conveyor system 2388 discussed in relation to FIG.22D. For example, in some embodiments, the conveyor system may include aconveyor belt, head pulley, tail pulley, and idlers. In someembodiments, the conveyor system may also include a first plurality ofmotorized wheels and a second plurality of motorized wheels that rotatein place (e.g., the motorized wheels 2283A and 2283B in FIG. 22D). Themotion system 2640 includes the conveyor system. Once the first packagedarticle 2618A is moved, the sleeve 2628 releases the second packagedarticle 2618B by articulating the pair of rotatable arms 2626 asdiscussed in relation to FIG. 26B.

The method 2698 shown in FIG. 26D continues at operation 2699D withmoving the second packaged article 2618B away from the column 2622 usingthe motion system 2640.

The method 2698 shown in FIG. 26D continues at operation 2699E withmoving a third packaged article 2618C to a location on the receivingstation 2624 adjacent to the column 2622 and operation 2699F, operation2699F with moving the sleeve 2628 away from the column 2622 and towardsthe third packaged article 2618C, and operation 2699G with grasping thethird packaged article 2618C using the sleeve 2628. FIG. 26G depicts theoperations 2699E, 2699F, and 2699G and shows the sleeve 2628 graspingthe third packaged article 2618C. The sleeve 2628 moves in relation tothe shelving system 2680, for example, towards and away from thereceiving station 2624. The sleeve 2628 at least partially surrounds thethird packaged article 2618C and uses the pair of rotatable arms 2626 tograsp the third packaged article 2618C. A sleeve actuation system (notshown) moves the sleeve 2628 in relation to the shelving system 2680. Insome embodiments, the sleeve actuation system is similar to one of theactuation systems 2152A and 2152B discussed in relation to FIGS. 21K and21L. For example, the sleeve actuation system may use the lift belt2153A and lift motor 2154A to move the sleeve 2628 or the threaded rod2153B and lift motor 2154B. In some embodiments, the sleeve actuationsystem may use the motorized pinion gear 2134 and the rack gear 2136discussed in relation to FIG. 21F.

The method 2698 shown in FIG. 26D continues at operation 2699H withmoving the sleeve 2628 and the third packaged article 2618C towards thecolumn 2622. FIG. 26H depicts the operation 2699H and shows the sleeve2628 inside the column 2622 of the shelving system 2680. The thirdpackaged article 2618C is at a bottom of a stack of packaged articles2612 inside the sleeve 2628 and held in place by the pair of rotatablearms 2626.

The method 2698 may be used to manage an inventory of packaged articles2612 in the shelving system 2680 in a similar manner as the method 2298discussed in relation to FIGS. 22G-22I. The method 2698 may be used tosort through packaged articles 2612 having different characteristics toselect a packaged article 2612 for personalization.

In some embodiments, the third packaged article 2618C is the firstpackaged article 2618A.

In some embodiments, the first packaged article 2618A has differentcharacteristics than the second packaged article 2618B, the remainingpackaged articles 2612 in the sleeve 2628 have at least two differentcharacteristics, and the packaged articles 2612 and/or 2618B arereleased from the sleeve 2628 until a packaged article having desiredcharacteristics is released on the receiving station 2624.

Some embodiments further include personalizing the packaged article 2612having desired characteristics using the plurality of system components2660 of an article personalization system 2606. In such embodiments, thesystem components comprise the article preparation system 2660A, the DTGprinter 2660B, and the curing system 2660C.

Some embodiments further include personalizing the first packagedarticle 2618A using the plurality of system components 2660 of anarticle personalization system 2606. In such embodiments, the systemcomponents 2660 comprise the article preparation system 2660A, the DTGprinter 2660B, and the curing system 2660C and the packaged articles2612 each comprise a packaging and an article.

Some embodiments further include removing an article of the firstpackaged article 2618A from a packaging of the first packaged article2618A. In such embodiments, the third packaged article 2618C is thepackaging of the first packaged article 2618A

FIG. 26I depicts a cross-sectional view of the transfer system 2608,according to some embodiments. The robot 2642, article preparationsystem 2660A, and a curing system 2660C are not shown for simplicity.The transfer system 2608 moves the packaged articles between systemcomponents located on different sides of the platforms and/or differentlevels of the kiosk, such as above the platform (referred to as a secondlevel 2607B) and below the platform (referred to as a first level2607A). For example, the transfer system 2608 may move a packagedarticle 2612 received from the 2642 robot (FIG. 26A) to the DTG printer2660B. The transfer system 2608 includes a pair of rails 2658 havingtransfer tracks 2659 (not shown) and a movable plate 2655 as discussedin relation to FIGS. 26J and 26K. The pair of rails 2658 extendsvertically from a floor of the first level 2607A and to a top of thechute 2605B on the second level 2607B. Although not shown in FIG. 26I, afirst actuation system 2650 may be used to move the movable plate 2655along the transfer tracks 2659 between the first and second levels 2607Aand 26076, as further discussed in relation to FIG. 26J.

FIG. 26J depicts a top view of the transfer system 2608 from FIG. 26I,according to some embodiments.

The first actuation system 2650 is similar to either of the secondactuation systems 2152A or 21526 discussed in relation to in FIGS. 21Kand 21L. For example, the pair of rails 2658 are channel beams and thetransfer tracks 2659 are channels of the channel beams. Actuatorcouplers 2654 are coupled to the transfer tracks 2659 and the movableplate 2655. The first actuation system 2650 moves the movable plate 2655between the first and second levels 2607A and 2607B by moving theactuator couplers 2654 on the transfer tracks 2659, similar to how thesecond actuation system 2152A or 2152B moves the carrier coupler 2128 inFIGS. 21K and 21L.

A second actuation system 2652 (FIG. 26K) is used to move the movableplate 2655 in a direction orthogonal to the pair of rails 2658, such astowards and away from the DTG printer 2660B. The second actuation system2652 moves the movable plate 2655 using the rack gears 2656, such asdiscussed in relation to FIG. 26K.

FIG. 26K depicts a cross-sectional side view of the transfer system2608, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 26K shows thesecond actuation system 2652.

The second actuation system 2652 is similar to the third actuationsystem 2132 discussed in relation to FIG. 21F. For example, the secondactuation system 2652 includes motorized pinion gears 2657 and rackgears 2656. The motorized pinion gears 2657 are coupled to the actuatorcouplers 2654, such as welded to, fastened to using fasteners, adheredto, or partially encased in the actuator couplers 2654. Thus, themotorized pinion gears 2657 are coupled to the transfer tracks 2659 andmove with the actuator couplers 2654 when the first actuation system2650 moves the actuator couplers 2654. Each rail 2658 of the pair ofrails 2658 includes one actuator coupler 2654 and one motorized piniongear 2657.

The rack gears 2656 are attached to the sides of the movable plate 2655that are adjacent to the pair of rails 2658. The rack gears 2656 may bewelded to, fastened to using fasteners, adhered to, or unitarily formedas part of the movable plate 2655. The motorized pinion gears 2657 andthe rack gears 2656 are similar to the motorized pinion gear 2134 andrack gear 2136 discussed in relation to FIG. 21F. For example, each rackgear 2656 includes an upper and lower portion. The motorized pinion gear2657 is disposed in between the upper and lower rack gears 2656. Themotorized pinion gear 2657 rotates and engages the upper and lowerportions of the rack gears 2656 to move the movable plate 2655 in thedirection orthogonal to the pair of rails 2658.

FIG. 26K further shows how the first actuation system 2650 moves themovable plate 2655. The first action system moves the movable plate 2655through the motorized pinion gears 2657, which move along the transfertracks 2659 with the actuator coupler. The motorized pinion gear 2657moves the movable plate 2655 along the transfer tracks 2659 via contactbetween the motorized pinion gear 2657 and the rack gear 2656. Thus, theactuator couplers 2654 are used to lift and lower the movable plate 2655between the first and second levels 2607A and 2607B.

Garment Personalization Kiosk with Movable System Components

FIG. 27A depicts a rear-left-bottom trimetric view of a packaged article2712, according to some embodiments.

The packaged article 2712 includes a packaging 2718 and an article(hidden from view), such as the packaging 101 and article 105 discussedin relation to FIGS. 2-4 . The article of the packaged article 2712 ispretreated with a pretreatment solution, similar to the packaged article15P discussed in relation to FIG. 1 or the pretreated packaged articles2112 discussed in relation to FIGS. 21A and 21B. The packaged article2712 includes an identification feature 2716. The identification feature2716 is similar to the sensor or indicator in or on the packagingdiscussed in relation to FIGS. 1, 21A, and 21B or the identificationfeature 2516 discussed in relation to FIG. 25A. For example, theidentification feature 2716 may include one of a bar code, QR code, nearfield communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID)tag, and the like. The identification feature 2716 is used to identifyinformation about the packaged article 2712. For example, theidentification feature may provide characteristics about the article ofthe packaged article 2712. The packaged article 2712 is used with anon-demand personalization kiosk 2700 as discussed in FIGS. 27B and 27C.

FIG. 27B depicts a trimetric view of an on-demand personalization kiosk2700, according to some embodiments.

The on-demand personalization kiosk 2700 (referred to as the kiosk 2700)is similar to the kiosks discussed in relation to previous figures,except as noted. For example, the kiosk 2700 includes a housing 2702.Disposed within the housing 2702 is an article personalization system2706. The kiosk 2700 further includes a sensor 2714, a staging area2710, and a control system 2790. The article personalization system 2706is similar to the article personalization system 2206 discussed inrelation to FIG. 22A, except as noted, and includes a plurality ofsystem components 2760. The plurality of system components 2760 differfrom previously discussed kiosks in that they only include a DTG printer2760A and a curing system 2760B. The staging area 2710 provides accessfor a user to the DTG printer 2760A. The user may be an operator of thekiosk 2700 or a customer following instructions provided via a kiosk2700 user interface (UI). At least a portion of the housing 2702 may betransparent to allow the user to see the system components 2760 of thekiosk 2700, although in some embodiments the housing 2702 is translucentor opaque. The kiosk 2700 further differs from the kiosks discussed inrelation to FIGS. 21-26 in that the kiosk 2700 does not include anarticle retrieval system having a motion system and a shelving system.Thus, the kiosk 2700 has less moving parts than and may have a smallerfootprint or area than the kiosks discussed in relation to FIGS. 21-26 .Further, the kiosk 2700 may be transported between locations and may betransported through smaller openings and doorways than the kiosksdiscussed in relation to FIGS. 21-26 . The system components 2760depicted in FIG. 27B are for illustrative purposes and the actual systemcomponents 2760 may have any shape, such as previously described inrelation to the system components 2160 in FIG. 21A.

The kiosk 2700 may be used to personalize packaged articles 2712, whichare stored outside of the housing 2702. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 27B, the kiosk 2700 personalizes the packaged article 2712. In someembodiments, the kiosk 2700 may be configured to use or may becompatible with packaged articles 2712 having other packaging andarticles previously discussed, such the packaging and articles discussedin relation to FIGS. 1-20 .

The control system 2790 controls the kiosk 2700, similar to the controlsystem 2190 discussed in relation to FIG. 21A.

The UIs with the article personalization system 2706 to place an orderfor a personalized article, such as described in relation to FIGS. 30and 65-75 . Once the order is placed, the kiosk 2700 receives the order,for example, through the control system 2790, and the user retrieves apackaged article 2712, for example, from a shelving system locatedoutside of the kiosk 2700. Thus, the kiosk 2700 increases userinteraction when compared to the kiosks discussed in relation to FIGS.21-26 , which may result in a more enjoyable experience for the user. Insome embodiments, the shelving system is one of the shelving systemspreviously discussed in relation to FIGS. 21-26 . In some embodiments,the user may retrieve a packaged article from a point of sale, such as astore, vender, or retailer.

The user uses the sensor 2714 of the kiosk 2700 to scan 2715 theidentification feature 2716 of the packaged article 2712. The sensor iscoupled to the housing 2702. The sensor 2714 is a non-contact sensor(e.g., a bar code scanner, QR code scanner, camera, NFC tag reader, orRFID tag reader and the like) that scans or reads the identificationfeature 2716 to determine the characteristics of the article in thepackaged article 2712. The sensor 2714 may couple to the housing 2502,such as through a bracket or a fixture. The control system 2790 usesinformation from the identification feature 2716 to verify the orderfrom the user. For example, the control system 2790 may compare theinformation determined from scanning the identification feature 2716 toa database to verify the order before beginning the personalizationprocess. The database may be accessed by a processor or memory of thecontrol system 2790. In some embodiments, the identification feature2716 may include information about the order, such as a graphic to beprinted or an area of the article to print on. In such embodiments, theorder information does not need to be sent to the kiosk 2700 prior toscanning the packaged article 2712 and the control system 2790 does notneed to verify the order information.

Once the order is confirmed, or the kiosk 2700 receives the informationabout the order, the user places the packaged article 2712 into thestaging area 2710 of the kiosk 2700, which includes a platform 2711A anda cover 2711B (or door), and closes the cover 2711B (such as shown inFIG. 2C). The cover 2711B is removably coupled to the housing 2702(e.g., by a movable joint or mechanism such as a hinge) and preventsaccess to the kiosk 2700 during the personalization process. Forexample, the cover 2711B is rotatably coupled to the housing 2702 andcontact or engages the housing when closed. The packaged article 2712 isthen processed by the DTG printer 2760A. For example, the DTG printer2760A prints an image or design on the packaged article 2712.

The platform 2711A may be part of the DTG printer 2760A, such as amoveable platen, tray, or feeder to move the packaged article 2712during printing. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the DTGprinter 2760A moves over the packaged article during printing. In someembodiments, the platform 2711A moves the packaged article 2712 to theDTG printer 2760A. In some embodiments, the cover 2711B is a slot in thehousing 2702 or part of a tray (which also includes the platform 2711A)that is pulled out from the housing 2702. In some embodiments, the kiosk2700 does not use the cover 2711B.

FIG. 27C depicts a trimetric view of the packaged article 2712 in thekiosk 2700, according to some embodiments. In particular, FIG. 27C showsthe curing system 2760B processing the packaged article 2712.

Once the DTG printer 2760A is finished processing the packaged article2712, the curing system 2760B is positioned adjacent to the packagedarticle 2712 and the platform 2711A. For example, the curing system2760B moves from a first positon, which is positioned away from thestaging area 2710, to a second position, which is positioned over thepackaged article 2712 (as shown on the page). When in the firstposition, no portion of the curing system 2760B is positioned over thepackaged article 2712. In some embodiments, the curing system 2760B ispositioned parallel and next to a surface of the packaged article 2712that is processed by the DTG printer 2760A. In such embodiments, when inthe first position, no portion of the curing system 2760B is positionedfacing the packaged article 2712. When in the second position, thecuring system 2760B is positioned facing packaged article 2712.

An actuation system (not shown) moves the curing system 2760B. In someembodiments, the actuation system uses a coupler, a motorized piniongear, and a rack gear to move the curing system 2760B, similar to thesecond actuation system 2652 discussed in relation to FIGS. 26I-26K. Insome embodiments, the actuation system uses a coupler connected to thecuring system 2760B, a threaded rod, and a lift motor to move the curingsystem 2760B, similar to the second actuation system discussed inrelation to FIG. 21L. In some embodiments, the actuation system usesarticular members connected to the curing system 2760B to move thecuring system 2760B, similar to the articular members 2236 discussed inrelation to FIG. 22P-22R. In some embodiments, a linear actuator, suchas a mechanical or electro-mechanical linear actuator, belt-driveactuator, hydraulic linear actuator, pneumatic linear actuator, orpiezoelectric linear actuator, may move the curing system 2760B.

The curing system 2760B cures or dries the printed image or design onthe packaged articles 2112. The actuation system returns the curingsystem 2760B to the second position (shown in FIG. 27B) after theprinted image or design is ready. The user then opens the cover 2711Band retrieves the now-personalized packaged article 2712.

The kiosk 2700 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems in asimilar manner as the kiosk 2100 described in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B.

In some embodiments, the information about the characteristics of thepackaged article 2712 and/or the order are conveyed to the kiosk 2700through the article personalization system 2706 prior to scanning thepackaged article 2712. In some embodiments, the identification feature2716 of the packaged article 2712 is scanned 2715 to verify the packagedarticle is compatible for use with the kiosk 2700. In some embodiments,the identification feature 2716 of the packaged article 2712 is scanned2715 to verify information about the packaged article 2712 (e.g., thepackaging and article of the packaged article 2712). In someembodiments, the information about the packaged article 2712 is used toinstruct the user on how to place the packaged article 2712 in thestaging area 2710. For example, if the packaged article 2712 includesany of the packaging and articles discussed in relation to FIGS. 2-9,12, and 19-20 , the kiosk 2700 or the display 2904 discussed in relationto FIGS. 29 and 30 will instruct the user on how to position thepackaged article 2712 on the staging area 2710. If the packaged article2712 includes any of the packaging and articles discussed in relation toFIGS. 10-11 and 12-18 , the user will be instructed on how to unpack thearticle of the packaged article 2712 and place the article on thestaging area 2710. In one example using the packaging 901 and thearticle 905 discussed in relation to FIGS. 16-18 , the user isinstructed to remove the retainers 920, unroll and straighten thearticle 905, and use the cover 955 to secure the article 905 in place onthe staging area 2710.

In some embodiments, the curing system 2760B may also be used as anarticle preparation system. For example, the curing system 2760B mayprepare the packaged articles 2712 for personalization by the DTGprinter 2760A similar to the article preparation system 2160A systemdiscussed in relation to FIG. 21A.

Mobile Garment Personalization Kiosk

FIG. 28A depicts a perspective view of a mobile on-demandpersonalization kiosk 2800, according to some embodiments.

The mobile on-demand personalization kiosk 2800 (referred to as themobile kiosk 2800) is similar to the kiosks discussed in relation toprevious figures, except as noted. For example, the mobile kiosk 2800includes a housing 2802, which in the depicted embodiment is within orpart of a vehicle, such as a van 2801 that forms the housing 2802.Disposed within the housing 2802 are an article retrieval system 2804,an article personalization system 2806, and a transfer system 2808,which perform a personalization process on a plurality of packagedarticles 2812. The mobile kiosk 2800 further includes a dispenser 2810and a control system 2890.

The van 2801 includes a body 2813A having wheels 2813B and an engine(not shown). A passenger cabin 2813C is disposed within the body 2813Aand includes controls (e.g., a steering wheel, shifter, gas and brakepedals, and the like) to move the van 2801 to different locations. Themobility of the van 2801 allows the mobile kiosk 2800 to move todifferent sites and venues, such as conventions, concerts, trade shows,festivals, and the like.

The housing 2802 includes a window 2803 in a side of the van 2801, suchas in a side of the housing 2802. The window 2803 allows a user to viewthe packaged articles 2812 undergo the personalization process. In someembodiments, the window 2803 is a transparent pane of material, such asa glass or a polymer/plastic, disposed in the housing 2602. In someembodiments, the window 2803 is an opening formed in the housing 2602.In some embodiments, the window 2803 is the viewing pane 4004 discussedin relation to FIGS. 40 and 41 . The housing 2802 further includes adivider 2805 between a shelving system 2820 and/or a motion system 2840and system components 2860. The divider 2805 forms openings 2807 havingshelves 2809, which are used to transfer the packaged articles 2812 tothe transfer system 2840 as later described. The divider 2805 isorthogonal to the window 2803 to not obstruct a view inside the housing2802. The mobile kiosk 2800 may be configured to use any of the packagedarticles discussed herein. For example, the shelving system 2820, motionsystem 2840, and transfer system 2808 may direct which packaged articlesare used by the mobile kiosk 2800.

The shelving and motion systems 2820 and 2840 may be any of the shelvingand motion systems discussed in relation to FIGS. 21-26 . In someembodiments, the shelving and motion systems 2120 and 2140 discussed inrelation to FIG. 21 are used. For example, the motion system 2140retrieves the packaged articles 2812 from the shelving system 2120 andplaces them on the shelves 2809. In some embodiments, the shelvingsystems 2220 and/or 2221 and the motion system 2240 (with or without thetrack system 2241) as discussed in relation to FIG. 22 are used. Forexample, the motion system 2240 retrieves the packaged articles 2812from the shelving unit 2220A, 2220B, 2280A, or 2280B of the shelvingsystem 2220 and places them on the shelves 2809. In some embodiments,the shelving system 2320 and/or 2330 and the motion system 2340 asdiscussed in relation to FIG. 23 are used. For example, the motionsystem 2340 retrieves the packaged articles 2812 from the shelving unit2320A, 2320B, or 2380 of the shelving system 2320 and places them on theshelves 2809. In some embodiments, the shelving and motion systems 2420and 2440 and the pneumatic tube 2470 discussed in relation to FIG. 24are used. For example, the motion system 2440 retrieves the packagedarticles 2812 from the shelving system 2420 and places them on theshelves 2809. In some embodiments, shelving and motion systems 2420 and2440 are used without the pneumatic tube 2470. In some embodiments, theshelving and motion systems 2520 and 2540 discussed in relation to FIG.25 are used. For example, the carrier 2550 retrieves the packagedarticles 2812 from the storage rail 2542 and moves them to the deliveryrail 2546, which places the packaged articles 2812 on the shelves 2809.In another example, the rail switch 2567 moves the packaged articles2812 from the storage rail 2562 to the delivery rail 2546, which placesthe packaged articles 2812 on the shelves 2809. In some embodiments, theshelving and motion systems 2620 (or 2680) and 2640 discussed inrelation to FIG. 26 are used. For example, the motion system 2640retrieves the packaged articles 2812 from the shelving system 2620 andplaces them on the shelves 2809. In some embodiments, the motion systemsmay deliver the packaged articles 2812 directly to the transfer system2808 and the shelves 2809 are not used.

In some embodiments, the shelving system 2820 delivers the packagedarticles 2812 to the shelves 2809 directly such that the motion system2840 is not used. For example, any of the shelving systems 2220 (FIGS.22B-22E and 22G-22I), 2230 (FIGS. 22P-22R), 2320 (FIG. 23B), 2425 (FIG.24F), or 2630 (FIG. 26C) may deliver the packaged articles 2812 on theshelves 2809. In some embodiments, the shelving systems deliver thepackaged article 2812 directly to the transfer system 2808 and theshelves 2809 are not used.

The article personalization system 2806 is similar to the articlepersonalization system 2206 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A, except asnoted. The article personalization system 2806 includes a plurality ofsystem components 2860 such as an article preparation system 2860A, DTGprinters 2860B, and a curing system 2860C. The system components 2860depicted in FIG. 28A are for illustrative purposes and the actual systemcomponents 2860 may have any shape, such as previously discussed inrelation to the system components 2160 in FIG. 21A. The systemcomponents 2860 are disposed on platforms 2811 at different levels. Forexample, the DTG printers 2860B and the curing systems 2860C aredisposed on platforms 2811 at different heights from a floor of thehousing 2802. The platforms 2811 are attached to walls of the housing2802, such as through shelving brackets and fasteners (e.g., screws orbolts and the like).

The transfer system 2808 transfers the packaged articles 2812 betweenthe system components 2860. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 28A, thetransfer system 2808 includes a robotic arm 2872 that accesses theshelves 2809, all of the system components 2860, and the dispenser 2810.The robotic arm 2872 is similar to the robotic arm 2572B discussed inrelation to FIG. 25H. For example, the robotic arm 2872 comprises agripper as an end effector that is configured to grasp the packagedarticles 2812. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 2872 is slidablymounted to a rail, similar to the robotic arm 2572A discussed inrelation to FIG. 25G.

In some embodiments, the transfer system 2808 may be any of the transfersystems discussed in relation to FIGS. 21-26 . In some embodiments, thetransfer system 2208 (e.g., the motion system 2240 with or without thetrack system 2241) as discussed in relation to FIG. 22 is used. Forexample, the transfer system 2208 transfers the packaged articles 2812between the system components 2860. In some embodiments, the transfersystem 2308 (e.g., the motion system 2340) as discussed in relation toFIG. 23 are used. For example, the transfer system 2308 transfers thepackaged articles 2812 between the system components 2860. In someembodiments, the transfer system 2408 discussed in relation to FIG. 24is used. For example, the pneumatic tube 2470 moves the packagedarticles 2812 to the shelves 2809 and the robotic arm 2872 transfers thepackaged articles 2812 between the system components 2860. In someembodiments, the transfer system 2608 discussed in relation to FIGS.26I-26K is used. For example, the transfer system 2608 transfers thepackaged articles 2812 between the system components 2860, which arearranged within reach of the transfer system 2808 different from shownin FIG. 28A. In some embodiments, the transfer system 2308 is similar tothe transfer system 2208 discussed in relation to FIG. 22A.

The dispenser 2810 may be similar to any of the dispensers discussed inrelation to FIGS. 21-26 . For example, the dispenser 2810 may includethe storage system 2611 to store rejected packaged articles as discussedin relation to FIG. 26A. In the depicted embodiment, the dispenser isdisposed in the side of the van 2801 that includes the window 2803, andin particular, is disposed below the window 2803. In some embodiments,the dispenser may be located elsewhere in the housing 2802 that isaccessible by the user.

The control system 2890 controls the mobile kiosk 2800, and may besimilar to any of the control systems discussed in relation to FIGS.21-26 , such as similar to the control system 2190 discussed in relationto FIG. 21A.

The mobile kiosk 2800 differs from non-kiosk personalization systems ina similar manner as the kiosk 2100 discussed in relation to thetop-front-right view of FIG. 21A and the top-left-rear view of 21B. Themobile kiosk 2800 further differs from non-kiosk personalization systemsin that the kiosk 2800 may be driven to different locations.

In some embodiments, the mobile kiosk 2800 uses the system components2760 discussed in relation to FIGS. 27B and 27C. For example, the DTGprinter 2760A and a curing system 2760B may be disposed inside thehousing 2802. In such embodiments, the dispenser 2810 may be the stagingarea 2710 and the user inserts the packaged article 2812 into thedispenser 2810.

In some embodiments, a different wheeled vehicle is used instead of thevan 2801. For example, a truck, such as a pickup truck of a box truck,may be used. In other example, a bus, sport utility vehicle (SUV),cross-over vehicle, or a car and the like are used. In some examples, atrailer may be used that is towed by a vehicle, such as a cargo trailer,a converted recreational vehicle (RV), or a semi-trailer and the like.

FIGS. 28B and 28C depict different views of a mobile on-demandpersonalization kiosk 2880, according to some embodiments. Inparticular, FIG. 28B shows a perspective view of the mobile on-demandpersonalization kiosk 2880 (referred to as the mobile kiosk 2880).

The mobile kiosk 2880 is similar to the mobile kiosk 2800 discussed inrelation to FIG. 28A, except as noted. For example, the mobile kiosk2880 includes a first van 2881A and a second van 2881B that removablycouple through an interface system 2882. Each of the vans 2881A and2881B are similar to the van 2801 (FIG. 28A). The first van 2881Aincludes the shelving and motion systems 2820 and 2840. The second van2881B includes the article personalization system 2806, the transfersystem 2808, and the dispenser 2810. The control system 2890 may be ineither of the vans 2881A and 2881B, or link to both of the vans 2881Aand 2881B through a hardwired or wireless connection.

The vans 2881A and 2881B form an opening (not shown) in a back side. Theopenings are disposed inside the interface system 2882 when theinterface system 2882 is installed. In some embodiments, the interfacesystem 2882 is a hard fixture, such as plastic or metal sheeting orpanels, that couples to the vans 2881A an 2881B. The hard fixtureremovably attaches to the vans 2881A and 2881B using screws, bolts,magnets, hook and loop fasteners, butterfly fasteners, toggle latches,slot fasteners, and the like. In some embodiments, the interface system2882 is a soft cover, such as a cloth, fabric, or leather, that couplesto the vans 2881A an 2881B. The soft cover removably attaches to thevans 2881A and 2881B using screws, bolts, fabric eyelets, rope, magnets,hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons, zippers, and the like.Thus, the interface system 2882 is configured to couple the back side ofthe first van 2881A to the back side of the second van 2881B. A seal,such as an O-ring or weather stripping, may be used between theinterface system 2882 and the vans 2881A and 2881B to prevent water fromentering through the interface system 2882. The openings allow thepackaged articles 2812 to move from the first van 2881A to the secondvan 2881B. The openings may be closed by doors (not shown) when not inuse.

A chute 2884 is disposed in the interface system 2882 and moves packagedarticles 2812 from the first van 2881A to the second van 2881B. Forexample, the shelving or motion systems 2820 or 2840 place the packagedarticles 2812 on the chute 2884, which is sloped to allow the packagedarticles 2812 to slide towards the second van 2881B. A ledge 2885 or lipof the chute 2884 stops the packaged articles 2812 from sliding and holdthe packaged articles 2812 on an end of the chute 2884 in the second van2881B. The chute 2884 is coupled to the openings formed in the vans2881A and 2881B. The transfer system 2808 grasps the packaged articles2812 from the chute and moves the packaged articles 2812 between thesystem components 2860 as previously discussed in relation to FIG. 28A.

FIG. 28C shows a schematic view of the interface system 2882 and thevans 2881A and 2881B. As previously discussed in relation to FIG. 28C,the motion system 2840 moves the packaged articles 2812 from theshelving system 2820 to the chute 2884. The chute 2884 slides thepackaged articles 2812 towards the second van 2881B and a ledge 2885 ofthe chute 2884 holds the packaged articles 2812. The transfer system2808 moves the packaged articles 2812 from the chute 2884 to the systemcomponents 2860 (FIG. 28B) and the dispenser 2810 (FIG. 28B).

In some embodiments, the vans 2881A and 2881B form an opening in a sideand the interface system 2882 couples the side of the first van 2881A tothe side of the second van 2881B.

Comparison of the Kiosks

Each of the kiosks discussed herein may share similar features withother kiosks. The kiosks may use the same system components. The kiosks2200, 2300, and 2600 use an arrangement of system components thatcomplements their motion system and/or transfer system. The kiosks 2100,2200, and 2300 use the motion system as the transfer system. The kiosks2200 and 2300 use shelving systems having limited openings because themotion systems are fixed to the kiosk housing and can access a limitedenvelope. The kiosks 2200, 2300, and 2600 use shelving systems havingmoving components to transfer the packaged articles to the motionsystem. The kiosks 2400 and 2600 use conveyor systems (outside of theshelving systems) to move the packaged articles. The kiosks 2200 and2300 (and in some embodiments, the kiosks 2400 and 2500) use a roboticarm to move the packaged articles. The shared features between thekiosks may be interchangeable. For example, the shelving systems of thekiosks 2200 and 2300 may be interchanged. Therefore, any description ofa feature in one embodiment of a kiosk may be applied to similar kiosks.The mobile kiosk 2800 may share many of the features discussed inrelation to the other kiosks, such as discussed in relation to FIG. 28 .

The kiosks may also have unique features not shared with other kiosks.The kiosks 2100, 2400, and 2600 use motion systems that are notcompatible with the other kiosks. The kiosks 2400 and 2500 each cannotuse a shelving systems from other kiosks. Therefore, some features of akiosk may not be applied to other kiosks or features of other kiosks maynot be applied to some kiosks.

USER ENHANCEMENTS

FIG. 29 illustrates an example system 2900, which may be an on-demandpersonalization kiosk. As seen in FIG. 29 , the system 2900 includes ahousing 2902, a display 2904, and a camera 2906. Generally, the system2900 generates and presents on the display 2904 an image of a userwearing an article with a custom design to simulate the look and fit ofthe article on the user. In this manner, the user may see what thearticle and the custom design look like on the user before the useragrees to create the article with the custom design, which improves usersatisfaction and reduces material waste caused by returns, in certainembodiments.

The housing 2902 may form an external shell or encasement of the kiosk.The housing 2902 may be formed using any suitable materials (e.g.,metal, wood, plastic, etc.). Many of the components of the kiosk may bepositioned on or in the housing 2902. As seen in FIG. 29 , a processor2908, a memory 2910, a shelving system 2914, a motion system 2916, anarticle personalization system 2918, a packaging system 2919, and adispenser 2920 may be positioned within or on the housing 2902.Additionally, the display 2904 and the camera 2906 may be coupled to orattached to the housing 2902. For example, the display 2904 and thecamera 2906 may be attached to an external surface of the housing 2902.

The display 2904 and the camera 2906 operate together to present to auser a simulated image of the user wearing a custom article with adesign. For example, the camera 2906 may take pictures or videos of theuser. The simulated image of the user wearing the custom article withthe design may be generated using the image or video taken by the camera2906. The display 2904 then presents the simulated image to the user.The simulated image includes an actual image of the user rather than anavatar or simulation of the user. For example, the simulated image mayinclude an image of the user taken by the camera 2906, but the user inthe image is wearing the custom article with the design. In someembodiments, the simulated image may be updated or regenerated as theuser moves or turns. In this manner, the user may see different anglesor perspectives of the custom article with the design on the user.

In some embodiments, the display 2904 and the camera 2906 are coupled orattached to an external surface of the housing 2902. The camera 2906 maybe directed at the user and the display 2904 may be positioned in frontof the user. As a result, when the display 2904 presents the simulatedimage of the user wearing the custom article with the design, thedisplay 2904 simulates a mirror that reflects an image of the user backtowards the user. In other words, the simulated image includes an actualimage of the user rather than an image of an avatar or simulation of theuser. The display 2904 may also create an augmented reality effect bysimulating the custom article with the design being worn by the user,even though the user is not wearing the custom article with the design.In this manner, the user may see how the custom article with the designlooks and fits on the user before the custom article is created. As aresult, the system 2900 improves user satisfaction and reduces materialwaste caused by returns, in certain embodiments.

In some embodiments, the display 2904 is positioned behind a two-waymirror that presents a reflection of the user standing in front of thetwo-way mirror. The camera 2906 is directed at the user and captures animage or video of the user. That image or video is analyzed to determinea position of the user and a corresponding location on the display. Animage or model of the custom article with the design is then presentedon the display at the determined location on the display. Lighting infront of the two-way mirror or lighting behind the two-way mirror may beadjusted so that the display can be seen through the two-way mirror. Asa result, the custom article with the design is presented such that thereflection of the user appears to be wearing custom article with thedesign.

In certain embodiments, the display 2904 and the camera 2906 areincluded in a pair of augmented reality glasses worn by the user. Aone-way mirror is coupled to the housing 2902 and presents a reflectionof the user standing in front of the one-way mirror. When the user looksat the reflection, the camera 2906 takes an image or video of thereflection. That image or video is used to detect a position of thereflection. The display 2904 then presents an image of a model of thecustom article with the design at a particular location on the display2904 such that the reflection appears to be wearing the custom articlewith the design when the user looks through the augmented realityglasses at the reflection. As a result, the custom article with thedesign is presented such that the reflection of the user appears to bewearing custom article with the design.

The processor 2908 is any electronic circuitry, including, but notlimited to one or a combination of microprocessors, microcontrollers,application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), application specificinstruction set processor (ASIP), and/or state machines, thatcommunicatively couples to memory 2910 and controls the operation of thekiosk. The processor 2908 may be 8-bit, 16-bit, 34-bit, 66-bit or of anyother suitable architecture. The processor 2908 may include anarithmetic logic unit (ALU) for performing arithmetic and logicoperations, processor registers that supply operands to the ALU andstore the results of ALU operations, and a control unit that fetchesinstructions from memory and executes them by directing the coordinatedoperations of the ALU, registers and other components. The processor2908 may include other hardware that operates software to control andprocess information. The processor 2908 executes software stored on thememory 2910 to perform any of the functions described herein. Theprocessor 2908 controls the operation and administration of the kiosk byprocessing information (e.g., information received from the camera 2906and memory 2910). The processor 2908 is not limited to a singleprocessing device and may encompass multiple processing devices.

The memory 2910 may store, either permanently or temporarily, data,operational software, or other information for the processor 2908. Thememory 2910 may include any one or a combination of volatile ornon-volatile local or remote devices suitable for storing information.For example, the memory 2910 may include random access memory (RAM),read only memory (ROM), magnetic storage devices, optical storagedevices, or any other suitable information storage device or acombination of these devices. The software represents any suitable setof instructions, logic, or code embodied in a computer-readable storagemedium. For example, the software may be embodied in the memory 2910, adisk, a CD, or a flash drive. In particular embodiments, the softwaremay include an application executable by the processor 2908 to performone or more of the functions of the personalization kiosk describedherein.

The processor 2908 and the memory 2910 may operate together, to generatethe simulated image of the user wearing the custom article with thedesign. For example, the processor 2908 may execute an applicationstored on the memory 2910 to generate the simulated image. The processor2908 may receive an image or a video taken by the camera 2906. Theprocessor 2908 may use machine learning to analyze the image or video.For example, the processor 2908 may apply machine learning to locate theuser or parts of the user's body in the image or video. The processor2908 may then scale and orient a model of the custom article with thedesign so that the model fits onto the user in the image or video. Theprocessor 2908 may then superimpose the model of the custom article ontothe user in the image or video to create the simulated image of the userwearing the custom article with the design. The processor 2908 thenpresents on the display 2904 the simulated image. As the user moves orrotates, the camera 2906 takes updates images of the user that theprocessor 2908 uses to update the simulated image (e.g., by applyingmachine learning to move or rotate the model of the article with thedesign). The processor 2908 then updates the display 2904 with theupdated simulated image. In this manner, the display 2904 creates theeffect that the user is looking at a mirror reflecting an image of theuser back to the user.

As discussed previously, the shelving system 2914 may include severalmechanisms for storing articles (e.g., shirts or pants). For example,the shelving system 2914 may include shelves, baskets, or rails thatoperate together to store uncustomized articles (e.g., raw or originalarticles). After a user has confirmed an article and a custom design,the article may be retrieved from the shelving system 2914 forcustomization.

As discussed previously, the motion system 2916 may include one or moremechanisms that move articles between the shelving system 2914, thearticle personalization system 2918, and the packaging system 2919. Forexample, the motion system 2916 may include rails, arms, or grabbersthat retrieve uncustomized articles from the shelving system 2914 andmove those uncustomized articles to the article personalization system2918 for customization. In some embodiments, the motion system 2916moves uncustomized articles from the shelving system 2914 to the articlepersonalization system 2918 in response to a user confirming an articleand custom design.

As discussed previously, the article personalization system 2918includes one or more mechanisms that create custom designs on articles.For example, the article personalization system 2918 may include one ormore printers that print custom designs onto articles, such as shirts orpants. The article personalization system 2918 may receive anuncustomized article from the motion system 2916. The articlepersonalization system 2918 may also receive a selected design from theprocessor 2908. The article personalization system 2918 then prints thecustom design onto the uncustomized article to create a custom article.

As discussed previously, the packaging system 2919 may receive customarticles from the article personalization system 2918 or the motionsystem 2916. The packaging system 2919 may fold and package the customarticle using any of the various packages described previously. Incertain embodiments, by folding and packaging the custom article, thepackaging system 2919 protects the custom article and improves thetransportability of the custom article.

The processor 2908 may control the operation of the shelving system2914, the motion system 2916, the article personalization system 2918,and the packaging system 2919. For example, the processor 2908 may issueinstructions to each of these systems to initiate the operation of thesesystems. After a user has confirmed an article and a custom design, theprocessor 2908 may issue an instruction to the motion system 2916 toretrieve an article from the shelving system 2914 and to move thatarticle to the article personalization system 2918. The processor 2908may also issue an instruction to the article personalization system 2918to create the custom article with the design. The articlepersonalization system 2918 may create the custom design on theuncustomized article retrieved by the motion system 2916. After thearticle personalization system 2918 has created the custom article withthe design, the processor 2908 may instruct the motion system 2916 tomove the custom article from the article personalization system 2918 tothe packaging system 2919. The processor 2908 then issues an instructionto the packaging system 2919 to fold and package the custom article.After the packaging system 2919 has folded and packaged the customarticle, the processor 2908 may instruct the motion system 2916 to movethe packaged article from the packaging system 2919 to the dispenser2920, where the packaged article is dispensed to the user. In someembodiments, the packaging system 2919 may be arranged with thedispenser 2920 such that the packaging system 2919 may dispense thepackaged article directly through the dispenser 2920 without involvingthe motion system 2916.

The dispenser 2920 may be coupled to the housing 2902 and provides amechanism through which a user may receive a custom article. Forexample, the dispenser 2920 may include a slot or chute that dispenses acustom article to a user on the outside of the housing 2902. In someembodiments, the dispenser 2920 may be arranged such that the dispenser2920 may dispense a custom article directly from the articlepersonalization system 2918 or a packaged article directly from thepackaging system 2919. In some embodiments, the dispenser 2920 isarranged such that the dispenser 2920 dispenses custom articles orpackaged articles moved by the motion system 2916.

FIG. 30 illustrates article and design selection in the system 2900 ofFIG. 29 . As seen in FIG. 30 , a user 3002 may use one or moretechniques to select an article and a custom design. Generally, thedisplay 2904 or the camera 2906 may be used to determine which articleand design the user 3002 selected.

In a first technique, the user 3002 may perform a gesture 3004 to selectan article or design. The camera 2906 may take images or videos of theuser 3002 and send the images or videos to the processor 2908. Theprocessor 2908 may analyze the images or videos to determine whether theuser is performing certain gestures 3004 that indicate a selection. Forexample, the processor 2908 may determine whether the user 3002 hasmoved the user's 3002 arm or hand to a particular position correspondingto a location on the display 2904. When the processor 2908 determinesthat the user 3002 has moved an arm or hand to a position correspondingto a location on the display 2904, the processor 2908 may determine thatthe user 3002 has made a selection.

As an example, the display 2904 may present to the user 3002 variousoptions for articles and designs. These options may be presented ondifferent portions of the display 2904. The user 3002 may move theuser's 3002 arm or hand such that an arm or hand of the user 3002presented in an image or video on the display 2904 moves over to aparticular portion of the display 2904. The portion of the display 2904may display an option for an article or design. When the processor 2908detects that the user 3002 has moved the arm or the hand such that thearm or hand in the presented image or video moves to the portion of thedisplay 2904 displaying the article or design option, the processor 2908may determine that the user 3002 has made a selection.

In a second technique, the user 3002 may use one or more touches 3006 tomake an article or design selection. For example, the display 2904 mayinclude touchscreen technology that detects when the user 3002 hastouched a particular portion of the display 2904. The processor 2908detects these touches 3006 on the display 2904 and determines a locationof the touches 3006 on the display 2904. The processor 2908 thendetermines an article or design option corresponding to the location ofthe touch.

Based on the gestures 3004 or the touches 3006, the processor 2908 maydetermine one or more article selections 3008 and design selections3010. In some embodiments, the user 3002 first makes an articleselection 3008. For example, the user 3002 may first select a shirt or apair of pants to customize. After the user 3002 makes the articleselection 3008, the user 3002 makes the design selection 3010. Forexample, the user 3002 may select a particular logo or image to print onthe selected article. In some embodiments, the user may select featuresabout the design, including size, color combinations, position within apersonalization window, orientation, complimentary personalization inone or more alternative personalization window, etc. In someembodiments, the user 3002 may make the design selection 3010 before thearticle selection 3008. After the user 3002 has made the articleselection 3008 and the design selection 3010, the system 2900 maygenerate and present a simulated image of the user 3002 wearing theselected article with the selected design. As discussed previously, thesimulated image may include an actual image of the user 3002 rather thanan image of an avatar or simulation of the user 3002.

FIG. 31 illustrates simulated image generation in the system 2900 ofFIG. 29 . As seen in FIG. 31 , the camera 2906 takes an image 3102 ofthe user 3002. In some embodiments, the camera 2906 may take multipleimages 3102 or a video of the user 3002. Additionally, after the user3002 has made the article selection 3008 and the design selection 3010,the processor 2908 generates or retrieves a model 3104 of the selectedarticle with the selected design. For example, the processor 2908 mayretrieve a model of the selected article and a model of the selecteddesign from a database. The processor 2908 may then combine these twomodels or superimpose the model of the selected design onto the model ofthe article to create the model 3104. As a result, the model 3104 is amodel of the selected article with the design printed on the article.

The processor 2908 then applies a machine learning model 3106 to theimage 3102 to detect the user 3002 or parts of the user's 3002 body inthe image 3102. For example, the machine learning model 3106 may havebeen trained to analyze images to detect particular objects within theimage 3102. The machine learning model 3106 may analyze colors andshapes that appear in the image 3102 to identify certain objects (e.g.,body parts) in the image 3102. For example, the machine learning model3106 may be trained to identify a head, chest, shoulder, arm, or leg ofthe user 3002 that appears in the image 3102. The machine learning model3106 may determine coordinates that represent the positions or locationsof these body parts in the image 3102.

The processor 2908 may use these coordinates of body parts to orient andscale the model 3104 so that the model 3104 fits onto the user as shownin the image 3102. For example, the processor 2908 may rotate the model3104 so that the article in the model 3104 is aligned properly with thebody of the user 3002 in the image 3102. Additionally, the processor2908 may scale or size the model 3104 so that the model 3104 fits overthe body of the user 3002 in the image 3102. After preparing the model3104, the processor 2908 creates a simulated image 3108 using the image3102 and the model 3104. For example, the processor 2908 may superimposethe model 3104 onto the body of the user 3002 in the image 3102 tocreate the simulated image 3108. As a result, the simulated image 3108shows an actual image the user 3002 wearing the selected article withthe selected design (as opposed to an avatar or simulation of the user3002 wearing the selected article). The processor 2908 then presents thesimulated image 3108 on the display 2904. In this manner, the user 3002may view the display 2904 to see how the selected article with theselected design would look and fit on the user 3002 before the user 3002confirms the creation of the article with the design. In this manner,the system 2900 improves user satisfaction and reduces material wastecaused by returns, in certain embodiments.

As the user 3002 moves or turns, the camera 2906 may take additionalimages 3102 or video that show the movement or turning of the user 3002.The processor 2908 may apply the machine learning model 3106 to theadditional images 3102 or video to detect the body parts in theadditional images 3102 or video. The processor 2908 may then move orrotate the model 3104 to fit over the detected body parts in theadditional images 3102 or video to produce updated simulated images3108. The processor 2908 then presents the updated simulated images 3108on the display 2904. The user 3002 may view the updated simulated images3108 to see different perspectives of the article with the design.

If the user 3002 changes the selection of the article or the design, theprocessor 2908 updates the simulated image 3108 to show the newlyselected article or design. For example, the processor 2908 may retrievea model of the newly selected article or newly selected design from thedatabase. The processor 2908 then orients and sizes the model so thatthe model fits appropriately over the detected body parts in the image3102. The processor 2908 then flattens the model and superimposes themodel onto the image 3102 of the user 3002 to generate a new simulatedimage 3108.

In some embodiments, the processor 2908 changes the background presentedon the display 2904 to simulate the user 3002 wearing the custom articlewith the design in different environments (e.g., indoors or outdoors) orat different times of the day (e.g., during the day or at night). Theprocessor 2908 may also update the lighting on the model of the customarticle with the design in the simulated image 3108 to better simulatethe changes in environments or times of day. In this manner, the user3002 may see how the custom article with the design would look when wornby the user 3002 in different settings or at different times. As aresult, the processor 2908 assists the user 3002 in deciding whether topurchase the custom article with the design, which improves usersatisfaction and reduces material waste caused by returns, in certainembodiments.

In certain embodiments, the processor 2908 superimposes an image of thearticle and the design onto the image 3102 of the user 3002 to simulatethe look and fit of the article with the design. Rather than retrievingand processing the model 3104 using the machine learning model 3106, theprocessor 2908 retrieves images of the article and the design anddirectly superimposes those images onto the image 3102 of the user 3002.This process uses less time and computing resources than the processshown in FIG. 31 but it may result in a less accurate simulation of thelook and fit. This tradeoff between simulation accuracy andtime/resource consumption may be acceptable in certain situation (e.g.,when computing resources are more limited or when simulation accuracy isnot as great of a concern).

FIG. 32 illustrates article and design confirmation in the system 2900of FIG. 29 . Generally, the user 3002 may confirm an article or designafter viewing the simulated image 3108 of the user 3002 wearing thearticle with the design. As seen in FIG. 32 , similar to article anddesign selection, the user 3002 may confirm an article and design usinggestures 3202 or touches 3204. For example, the camera 2906 may takeimages or videos of the user 3002. These images or videos are analyzedby the processor 2908 to determine whether the user 3002 has made agesture 3202 indicating a confirmation. Additionally or alternatively,the display 2904 may include a touchscreen that detects whether the user3002 has performed one or more touches 3204 on the display 2904. Theprocessor 2908 analyzes these touches 3204 to determine whether the user3002 has confirmed an article or design. In the example of FIG. 32 , theprocessor 2908 may determine that the user 3002 has made a confirmation3206 based on the gestures 3202 or the touches 3204. After the user 3002has confirmed an article with a design, the system 2900 may proceed tocreate the article with the design.

FIG. 33 illustrates article creation in the system 2900 of FIG. 29 . Asdescribed previously, the article creation process may use one or moresystems to create an article with a custom design. The processor 2908may issue instructions to the one or more systems to perform certaintasks in creating the custom article.

As seen in FIG. 33 , the article creation process begins with theshelving system 2914 storing one or more articles 3302. For example, theshelving system 2914 may include shelves, racks, buckets, barrels, orbaskets that store articles 3302. After a user has confirmed an article3302 and design, the processor 2908 issues an instruction to the motionsystem 2916 to retrieve the article 3302 from the shelving system 2914.The motion system 2916 may include one or more rails, grabbers, or armsthat retrieve the article 3302 from the shelving system 2914.

The motion system 2916 moves the article 3302 from the shelving system2914 to the article personalization system 2918. The processor 2908 mayissue an instruction to the article personalization system 2918 tocreate the confirmed design on the article 3302. For example, theprocessor 2908 may communicate the confirmed design to the articlepersonalization system 2918, and the article personalization system 2918may create the confirmed design on the article 3302. The articlepersonalization system 2918 uses one or more mechanisms to create aconfirmed design on the article 3302. For example, the articlepersonalization system 2918 may include one or more printers that printthe confirmed design onto the article 3302. The article personalizationsystem 2918 creates the design on the article 3302 to produce a finishedarticle 3304.

The finished article 3304 is then moved to the packaging system 2919. Insome embodiments, the processor 2908 issues an instruction to the motionsystem 2916 to move the finished article 3304 from the articlepersonalization system 2918 to the packaging system 2919. The packagingsystem 2919 then folds and packages the finished article 3304 to producethe packaged article 3306. In this manner, the packaging system 2919protects the finished article 3304 and improves the transportability ofthe finished article 3304, in certain embodiments. In some embodiments,the packaging system may be a semi-automatic or manual station where thepackaging is performed at least partially by a personalization clerk orby the user himself.

The packaged article 3306 is then moved from the packaging system 2919to the dispenser 2920. In some embodiments, the processor 2908 instructsthe motion system 2916 to move the packaged article 3306 from thepackaging system 2919 to the dispenser 2920. In some embodiments, thedispenser 2920 is arranged to dispense the packaged article 3306directly from the packaging system 2919. The dispenser 2920 may includea slot or chute through which the packaged article 3306 is dispensed tothe user.

FIG. 34 is a flowchart of an example method 3400 performed by the system2900 of FIG. 29 . In particular embodiments, various components of thesystem 2900 perform the steps of the method 3400. By performing themethod 3400, the system 2900 simulates the look and fit of an articlewith a custom design on a user so that the user may see how the articlelooks and fits on the user before confirming the creation of thearticle. As a result, the system 2900 improves user satisfaction andreduces material waste caused by returns.

In block 3402, the camera 2906 captures an image 3102 of a user 3002. Insome embodiments, the camera 2906 takes a video of the user 3002. Theuser 3002 may be standing in front of the system 2900, which may be anon-demand personalization kiosk. The user 3002 may be interacting withthe kiosk to determine whether the user 3002 wants to create an articlewith a custom design.

In block 3404, the processor 2908 detects article and design selections.For example, the processor 2908 may determine the article and designselections using one or more gestures 3004 of the user 3002 detected inthe image 3102 or video taken by the camera 2906. As another example,the processor 2908 may determine the article and design selections usingtouches 3006 detected by a touchscreen of the display 2904.

In block 3406, the processor 2908 generates a model 3104 of the selectedarticle with the selected design. For example, the processor 2908 mayretrieve a model of the article from a database and a model of thedesign from the database. The processor 2908 may then form the model3104 by combining the model of the article with the model of the design.The processor 2908 may superimpose the model of the design onto themodel of the article to form the model 3104.

In block 3408, the processor 2908 generates a simulated image 3108 thatsimulates the look and fit of the selected article with the selecteddesign on the user 3002. The processor 2908 may apply a machine learningmodel 3106 to the image 3102 to determine the location of certain bodyparts of the user 3002 appearing in the image 3102. For example, themachine learning model 3106 may be trained to analyze colors and shapesin the image 3102 to identify and locate certain body parts that appearin the image 3102. The processor 2908 may then orient and size the model3104 using the detected body parts in the image 3102. For example, theprocessor 2908 may rotate the model 3104 so that the model 3104 isproperly aligned with the body parts in the image 3102. Additionally,the processor 2908 may size or scale the model 3104 so that the model3104 fits over the body parts detected in the image 3102. The processor2908 then superimposes the model 3104 onto the body of the user 3002 inthe image 3102 to create the simulated image 3108.

In block 3412, the processor 2908 detects confirmation of the articlewith the design. For example, the processor 2908 may detect theconfirmation 3206 using gestures 3202 detected in the image 3102 takenby the camera 2906. As another example, the processor 2908 may detectthe confirmation 3206 using touches 3204 detected by the touch screen ofthe display 2904. The user 3002 may have provided the confirmation 3206after viewing the simulated image 3102 of the user 3002 wearing thearticle with the design.

In block 3414, the processor 2908 instructs creation of the article withthe design. For example, the processor 2908 may issue instructions toone or more of a motion system 2916 and an article personalizationsystem 2918 to create the article with the design. In response to theseinstructions, the motion system 2916 may retrieve an article 3302 from ashelving system 2914 and move that article 3302 to the articlepersonalization system 2918. The article personalization system 2918then prints the confirmed design onto the article 3302.

In block 3416, the packaging system 2919 packages the finished article3304 from the article personalization system 2918. The processor 2908may issue an instruction to the packaging system 2919 to fold andpackage the finished article 3304. By folding and packing the finishedarticle 3304, the packaging system 2919 protects the finished article3304 and improves the transportability of the finished article 3304, incertain embodiments.

In block 3418, the packaged article 3306 is dispensed through adispenser 2920. In some embodiments, the dispenser 2920 is arranged todispense the packaged article 3306 directly from the packaging system2919. In certain embodiments, the dispenser 2920 is arranged to dispensethe packaged article 3306 from the motion system 2916 moving thepackaged article 3306 from the packaging system 2919 to the dispenser2920. In this manner, the dispenser 2920 provides the finished article3304 or the packaged article 3306 to the user.

FIG. 35 illustrates an example display 2904 in the system 2900 of FIG.29 . As seen in FIG. 35 , the display 2904 is positioned on an externalsurface of the housing 2902. The display 2904 presents simulated images3108 of one or more users 3002 (e.g., life-size simulated images 3108 ofone or more users 3002). Each of the simulated images 3108 show a user3002 wearing a custom article with a design, even though the user 3002is not wearing the custom article with the design. As a result, thedisplay 2904 creates an augmented reality mirror effect, in which theuser 3002 sees in the display 2904 what appears to be a reflection ofthe user 3002 wearing a custom article with a design, even though theuser 3002 is not wearing the custom article with the design. As the user3002 moves or rotates, the display 2904 may update the presentation sothat the simulated image 3108 also moves or rotates with the user 3002.In this manner, the user 3002 may see different angles or perspectivesof the custom article with the design on the user 3002. The user 3002may see how the custom article looks and fits on the user 3002 beforethe user 3002 initiates creation of the custom article with the design.As a result, the display 2904 improves user satisfaction and reducesmaterial waste caused by returns, in certain embodiments.

In some embodiments, the display 2904 may present promotions or gamesthat engage users 3002 walking past the display 2904. For example, thedisplay 2904 may present discounts for ordering a custom article. Thedisplay 2904 may present a discount code that can be entered to redeemthe discount. The display 2904 may present a time period in which a user3002 may order a custom article to receive the discount. As anotherexample, the display 2904 may present a gift offer that comes with thepurchase of a custom article. The display 2904 may display a messagethat offers other items to be gifted when a custom article is ordered.As another example, the display 2904 may present a game that a user 3002may play (e.g., a simple game of chance or a skill-based game). If theuser 3002 plays and wins the game, the user 3002 may be offered adiscount on a custom article or the user 3002 may be rewarded a customarticle, as examples. By displaying these promotions or games, thedisplay 2904 engages the users 3002 and increases the changes that theusers 3002 will interact with the personalization kiosk.

In certain embodiments, to engage potential users, the display 2904 mayshow the potential users wearing custom articles with designs as thepotential users walk by the display 2904. For example, the camera 2906may capture images of potential users walking by the personalizationkiosk. The processor 2908 may then use these images to determine thepositions of these potential users and position a custom article with adesign on the reflection of the potential users. The display 2904 maydisplay the images of the potential users to simulate a reflection ofthe potential users, or the display 2904 may include a mirror thatreflects the potential users. The processor 2908 presents on the display2904 the custom article with the design to make it appear as if thereflections of the potential users are wearing the custom article withthe design. When the potential users see themselves wearing the customarticle rather than the clothes that they are wearing, the potentialusers may engage or interact with the personalization kiosk.Additionally, the display 2904 may display promotions, coupons, andother types of enticements to engage with the potential user and attractthem to the personalization kiosk and engage with it or explore it.

In some embodiments, the personalization kiosk and the processor 2908implements a reservation system to reduce delays for users 3002 whenwaiting for the personalization kiosk to create their custom articles. Auser 3002 may create a reservation using a personal device or byinteracting with the personalization kiosk. The reservation may indicatea time when the user 3002 may return to create a custom article withoutwaiting a long time for the custom article to be created. The processor2908 may evaluate the number of pending reservations and the number ofcustom articles awaiting creation when determining an appropriate returntime for the reservation. If a user 3002 orders a custom article withouta reservation, the processor 2908 may evaluate the number of pendingreservations and the number of custom articles awaiting creation todetermine an expected completion time for the user's 3002 customarticle. If the completion time is too far in the future, the processor2908 may alert the user (e.g., using the display 2904 or the user's 3002personal device) that the user 3002 may need to wait a long time for thecustom article to be completed. The processor 2908 may indicate to theuser 3002 that the user 3002 should return at the expected completiontime, or the processor 2908 may create a reservation for the user 3002to return to create the custom article at a later time. Alternatively,the processor 2908 may offer to the user 3002 the option to pick up thearticle at another nearby personalization kiosk or receive the articlethrough shipping to his/her home.

FIG. 36 illustrates an example system 3600, which may be an on-demandpersonalization kiosk. The system 3600 is similar to the system 2900,and the system 3600 also includes a camera 3602 and a projector 3604disposed within the housing 2902. Generally, the camera 3602 and theprojector 3604 may operate together to project designs or messages ontoobjects within the housing 2902 (e.g., an article being customized, anarticle hanging within the housing 2902, a sign or board within thehousing 2902, etc.). For example, the projector 3604 may project designsonto articles to simulate what a finished article will look like. Inthis manner, when a user peers into the housing 2902 (e.g., through oneor more of the viewing arrangements described herein), the user may seewhat a finished article will look like before the user confirms thecreation of the article with the design, which improves usersatisfaction and reduces waste caused by returns in certain embodiments.As another example, the projector 3604 may project messages indicatingan identity of a user who ordered the article or a status of the articleduring the customization process. In this manner, when the user peersinto the housing 2902, the user may easily identify the article thatbelongs to the user and be informed of the status of the article, whicheases anxiety and improves user satisfaction in some embodiments.

The system 3600 shares many of the same components as the system 2900.For example, the system 3600 may be an on-demand personalization kioskwith a housing 2902. The housing 2902 may be a metal, wooden, or plastichousing that protects and encases other components of the system 3600.The camera 2906 may be attached to the housing 2902 and may take imagesor videos of a user standing outside of the housing 2902. The processor2908 and the memory 2910 operate together to control the operation ofthe kiosk. The shelving system 2914, the motion system 2916, the articlepersonalization system 2918, the packaging system 2919, and thedispenser 2920 may be positioned within or on the housing 2902. Theshelving system 2914 stores articles. The motion system 2916 movesarticles between the other systems within the housing 2902. The articlepersonalization system 2918 creates custom designs onto articles fromthe shelving system 2914. The packaging system 2919 folds and packagesfinished articles from the article personalization system 2918. Thedispenser 2920 dispenses finished articles to the user.

The camera 3602 is positioned within the housing 2902. Any suitablenumber of cameras 3602 may be positioned within the housing 2902.Generally, the camera 3602 takes images or videos of other components ofthe system 2900 within the housing 2902. As an example, the camera 3602may take images or videos of an article in the housing 2902 with adesign projected onto the article. As another example, the camera 3602may take images or videos of the article personalization system 2918while the custom article with the design is being created. These imagesor videos may be presented on the display 2904 so that the user maywatch the custom article being created, which enhances the userexperience, in certain embodiments.

In some embodiments, a user may use a personal device (e.g., a mobilephone or laptop) to view the images or videos taken by the camera 3602.For example, the user may login to an application on the user's mobilephone to see the images or videos taken by the camera 3602. The user mayscan identifiers on the housing 2902 or enter a particular code into theapplication. A backend system (e.g., servers, networks, and othercomputers) may link the user's device to the kiosk and to the articlebeing created. The backend system then communicates the images or videostaken by the camera 3602 to the user's device.

The projector 3604 is positioned within the housing 2902 and projectsimages or message onto objects within the housing 2902. Any suitablenumber of projectors 3604 may be positioned within the housing 2902. Asan example, a projector 3604 may project designs onto articles withinthe housing 2902 to simulate how a finished article will look. When auser selects an article, the motion system 2916 may retrieve theselected article from the shelving system 2914. The motion system 2916may hang or suspend the selected article within the housing 2902 suchthat the user may see the selected article (e.g., when peering into thehousing 2902 or on the display 2904). When the user selects a design,the projector 3604 may project the selected design onto the selectedarticle to simulate what the design will look like on the article. Theuser may then view the article with the projected design (e.g., bypeering into the housing 2902 or on the display 2904). In this manner,the user is given an opportunity to see what the selected article willlook like with the design.

In some embodiments, a projector 3604 projects designs onto articlesthat are different from the article that will be customized. After theuser views the article with the projected design and confirms theselected article and design, the motion system 2916 may retrieve anotherarticle from the shelving system 2914 to be customized by the articlepersonalization system 2918. In this manner, the article with theprojected design may remain hanging and visible for the user to seeduring the article creation process.

In certain embodiments, the user may issue commands that allow the userto see different perspectives of the article with the projected design.For example, the user may issue instructions using the user's mobiledevice or by performing gestures or touches (e.g., as described withrespect to FIGS. 29 and 30 ). In response to these instructions, themotion system 2916 may rotate or flip the selected article. As thearticle rotates or flips, the projector 3604 may also adjust theprojection to maintain the look of the design on the article. Forexample, the projector 3604 may be rotated or tilted to maintain theprojection on the correction section of the article. As another example,the focus of the projector 3604 may be adjusted to maintain the focus ofthe projected design. One or more other projectors 3604 may also beactivated to project the design onto the rotated or flipped shirt. Forexample, one or more projectors 3604 at other positions within thehousing 2902 may be activated to project the design onto the rotated orflipped article. In this manner, the user may be allowed to seedifferent perspectives of the article with the projected design.

The user may also issue commands that adjust lighting conditions withinthe housing 2902. For example, the user may issue instructions using theuser's mobile device or by performing gestures or touches (e.g., asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 29 and 30 ). In response to theseinstructions, lighting in the housing 2902 may be adjusted (e.g., changebrightness, change colors, etc.). In this manner, the user may beallowed to see the article with the projected design in differentlighting conditions.

If the user decides to change the article or the design, the componentswithin the housing 2902 may respond accordingly. As an example, if theuser selects a different design, the projector 3604 may change theprojection and project the newly selected design onto the selected. Asanother example, if the user selects a different article, the motionsystem 2916 may return the previously selected article to the shelvingsystem 2914. The motion system 2916 may then retrieve the newly selectedarticle from the shelving system 2914 and hang or suspend the newlyselected article in the housing 2902. The projector 3604 then projectsthe selected design onto the newly selected article so the user can seewhat the newly selected article looks like with the design.

In some embodiments, a projector 3604 projects messages onto objectswithin the housing 2902. As an example, the projector 3604 may projectmessages onto the article that is hanging or suspended within thehousing 2902 or onto a sign or a board within the housing 2902. Theprojector 3604 may project the messages at any suitable time (e.g., whenthe article with the design is being created). The messages may indicateany suitable information. For example, the messages may identify a userwho ordered the article (e.g., “[NAME]'s shirt is being created”). Asanother example, the message may identify a status of the article or thestep of the customization process that is being performed (e.g., “We areretrieving your shirt,” “We are printing your design,” or “We arefolding your finished shirt”). These messages may change or update asthe article progresses through the customization process. The user mayview these messages (e.g., by peering into the housing 2902 or on thedisplay 2904) to stay informed of the article creation process, whichenhances the user experience.

In an example, a projector 3604 may also project a portion of the designonto a suspended or hanging article to indicate how close the customarticle is to completion. For example, when the custom article ishalfway complete, the projector 3604 may project half of the selecteddesign onto the suspended or hanging article to indicate that the customarticle is halfway done. As the custom article continues closer tocompletion, the projector 3604 may adjust the projection to include alarger percentage of the design.

FIG. 37 illustrates article and design selection in the system 3600 ofFIG. 36 . Generally, the article and design selection process in thesystem 3600 is similar to the article and design selection process inthe system 2900. For example, the user 3002 may indicate an articleselection 3008 and a design selection 3010 using gestures detected in animage or video taken by the camera 2906. As another example, the user3002 may indicate the article selection 3008 or the design selection3010 using touches on a touchscreen. When the processor 2908 receivesthe article selection 3008 and the design selection 3010, the processor2908 may begin the projector adjustment process to show the user 3002what the selected design would look like when projected onto theselected article worn by the user.

FIG. 38 illustrates design projection in the system 3600 of FIG. 36 . Asseen in FIG. 38 , an article 3802 is retrieved from the shelving system2914. The article 3802 may have been retrieved in response to the user3002 selecting the article 3802 (as described in FIG. 37 ). After theuser 3002 selects the article 3802 and the design 3804, the motionsystem 2916 may retrieve the article 3802 from the shelving system 2914and hang or suspend the article 3802 within the housing 2902. Theprojector 3604 then projects the design 3804 onto the article 3802. Theuser 3002 may then look at the article 3802 (e.g., by peering into thehousing 2902 or by viewing the display 2904) to see how the design 3804will look on the article 3802.

If the user 3002 does not want the article 3802 or the design 3804, theuser 3002 may change one or more of the selections. If the user 3002selects a new article 3802, the motion system 2916 may return thearticle 3802 to the shelving system 2914 and retrieve the newly selectedarticle 3802 from the shelving system 2914. The projector 3604 thenprojects the design 3804 only the newly selected article 3802. If theuser 3002 selects a new design 3804, the projector 3604 adjusts theprojection to project the newly selected design 3804 only the article3802.

In some embodiments, one or more cameras 3602 disposed within thehousing 2902 take images 3810 of different components within the housing2902. The display 2904 then presents those images 3810 so that the user3002 may see what is occurring in the housing 2902. For example, acamera 3602 may take an image 3810 of the article 3802 with theprojected design 3804. When this image 3810 is presented on the display2904, the user 3002 can view the display 2904 to see what the finishedarticle will look like. As another example, the camera 3602 may take animage 3810 of messages projected by the projector 3604 to indicate thestatus of the article 3802 during the customization process (e.g., thestage of the customization process). In this manner, the user 3002 canview the display 2904 to see the status of the customization.

In certain embodiments, the projector 3604 projects a message 3812 onobjects within the housing 2902. For example, the projector 3604 mayproject the message 3812 on the article 3802, a sign, or a board withinthe housing 2902. The message may include any suitable information. Forexample, the message 3812 may indicate an identity of the user 3002 whoordered the creation of the article 3802 with the design 3804 (e.g.,“This is [NAME]'s shirt”). As another example, the message 3812 mayindicate a status of the article 3802 (e.g., “We are retrieving yourshirt,” “We are printing your design,” or “We are folding your finishedshirt”). The user 3002 may view these messages 3812 (e.g., by peeringinto the housing 2902 or by viewing the display 2904). The messages 3812may inform the user 3002 as to what is happening with the article 3802,which increases user 3002 engagement and satisfaction in certainembodiments.

After the user 3002 confirms the article 3802 and the design 3804, thearticle creation process discussed with respect to FIG. 33 begins. Theprocessor 2908 instructs the motion system 2916 to move the article 3802(or another article 3802 from the shelving system 2914) to the articlepersonalization system 2918. The article personalization system 2918then creates the design 3804 on the article 3802 (e.g., by printing thedesign 3804 onto the article 3802) to produce a finished article 3806.The processor 2908 instructs the motion system 2916 to move the finishedarticle 3806 to the packaging system 2919, which folds and packages thefinished article 3806 to produce the packaged article 3806. Thedispenser 2920 dispenses the packaged article 3808.

FIG. 39 is a flowchart of an example method 3900, performed by thesystem 3600 of FIG. 36 . In particular embodiments, various componentsof the system 3600 perform the method 3900. By performing the method3900, a selected design 3804 is projected so that the user may see howthe design would look on a selected article 3802 before the user 3002requests creation of a custom article with the design 3804.

In block 3902, the shelving system 2914 stores an article 3802 for laterretrieval. In block 3904, the processor 2908 detects article and designselections made by a user 3002. The article selection may be for thearticle 3802 stored in the shelving system 2914. In response to thearticle selection, the processor 2908 instructs the motion system 2916to retrieve the article 3802 from the shelving system 2914 in block3906. The motion system 2916 retrieves the article 3802 and hangs orsuspends the article 3802 in the housing 2902.

In block 3908, the processor 2908 instructs the projector 3604 toproject the selected design 3804 onto the article 3802. In response, theprojector 3604 projects the selected design 3804 onto the article 3802so that the user 3002 may see how the design 3804 would look on thearticle 3802 (e.g., by peering into the housing 2902 or by viewing thedisplay 2904). If the user 3002 does not like the article 3802 or thedesign 3804, the user 3002 may change the selections. If the user 3002selects a new article 3802, the processor 2908 may instruct the motionsystem 2916 to retrieve the newly selected article 3802 and have theprojector project the design 3804 onto the newly selected article 3802.If the user 3002 selects a new design 3804, the processor 2908 mayinstruct the projector 3604 to project the newly selected design 3804onto the article 3802.

In block 3910, the processor 2908 detects that the user 3002 hasconfirmed the article 3802 and the design 3804. The processor 2908instructs the creation of the article 3802 with the design 3804 in block3912.

In response to the instruction, one or more systems within the housing2902 create the article with the design. For example, the motion system2916 may move the article 3802 to the article personalization system2918. The article personalization system 2918 then prints the design3804 onto the article 3802. The motion system 2916 may move the finishedarticle 3806 from the article personalization system 2918 to thepackaging system 2919.

In block 3914, the packaging system 2919 folds and packages the finishedarticle 3806 from the article personalization system 2918. In thismanner, the packaging system 2919 protects the finished article 3806 andimproves the transportability of the finished article 3806, in certainembodiments.

In block 3916, the dispenser 2920 dispenses the packaged article 3808from the packaging system 2919. For example, the motion system 2916 maymove the packaged article 3808 from the packaging system 2919 to thedispenser 2920. As another example, the dispenser 2920 may be arrangedso that the dispenser 2920 dispenses the packaged article 3808 directlyfrom the packaging system 2919. The user 3002 may then receive thepackaged article 3808 with the design selected by the user 3002.

Certain adjustments may be made to the housing 2902 to enhance the userexperience. For example, various viewing arrangements may be added tothe housing 2902 so that the user 3002 may see how the kiosk creates thecustom article. In some embodiments, the viewing arrangement allows theuser 3002 to see messages projected onto the article during thecustomization process.

FIG. 40 illustrates an example viewing arrangement. As seen in FIG. 40 ,the housing 2902 defines an aperture 4002 that extends into the housing2902. The aperture 4002 may be defined on a side of the housing 2902.The housing 2902 may define any suitable number of apertures 4002 in thesurfaces of the housing 2902.

A viewing pane 4004 coupled to the housing 2902 defines the boundary ofthe aperture 4002. In the example of FIG. 40 , the viewing pane 4004 isa curved surface that extends into or out of the housing 2902, where thecurvature of the surface is either convex, concave or nearly flat. Theviewing pane 4004 may be formed using any suitable material. Forexample, the viewing pane 4004 may be a translucent material, such asglass or plastic, that allows the user 3002 to view into the housing2902. The viewing pane 4004 may allow the user 3002 to see the varioussystems within the housing 2902, such as the article personalizationsystem 2918, while a custom article is being created.

In the example of FIG. 40 , the viewing pane 4004 extends into thehousing 2902 and defines an aperture 4002 into which the user 3002 mayposition the user's 3002 head. As a result, the aperture 4002 and theviewing pane 4004 serve as a viewport through which the user 3002 mayview the creation of a custom article. For example, the user 3002 mayview the article personalization system 2918 as the articlepersonalization system 2918 creates a design onto an article. In thismanner, the aperture 4002 and the viewing pane 4004 enhance the userexperience by allowing the user 3002 to see the inner workings of thekiosk.

FIG. 41 illustrates an example viewing arrangement. Like the viewingarrangement of FIG. 40 , the housing 2902 defines an aperture 4002 on aside of the housing 2902. A viewing pane 4004 coupled to the housing2902 defines the boundary of the aperture 4002. In the example of FIG.41 , however, the viewing pane 4004 is curved and extends out of thehousing 2902 towards the user 3002. As a result, the user 3002 may peerthrough the viewing pane 4004 without positioning the user's 3002 headwithin the aperture 4002. Thus, the viewing pane 4004 serves as a windowinto the housing 2902. By peering through the viewing pane 4004, theuser 3002 may see the article as the article is being created within thehousing 2902.

The housing 2902 may define any suitable number of apertures 4002 withviewing panes 4004 that define the boundary of the apertures 4002. Anysuitable number of viewing panes 4004 (e.g., those shown in FIGS. 40 and41 ) may be used with the housing 2902. For example, the housing 2902may include any suitable number of viewing panes 4004 that extend intothe housing 2902 and any suitable number of viewing panes 4004 thatextend out of the housing 2902. Each of the viewing panes 4004 may beplaced strategically at different locations to provide different viewsor perspectives into the housing 2902 (e.g., to allow views of differentstages of the custom article creation process). In this manner, thehousing 2902 provides numerous ways for the user 3002 to peer into thehousing 2902. Additionally, the housing 2902 may provide the user 3002several different perspectives of the systems within the housing 2902.

FIG. 42 illustrates an example viewing arrangement. As seen in FIG. 42 ,the housing 2902 defines an aperture that extends across multiple sidesof the housing 2902. For example, the aperture 4002 may extend acrossthe sides and the front of the housing 2902. The aperture 4002 may alsoextend across a majority of the height of the housing 2902.

A viewing pane 4004 is positioned within the aperture 4002. In theexample of FIG. 42 , the viewing pane 4004 is flat and extends acrossthe left and right sides and the front of the housing 2902.Additionally, the viewing pane 4004 extends across the majority of theheight of the housing 2902. The viewing pane 4004 may be made using anysuitable material, such as a translucent glass or plastic. In thismanner, the viewing pane 4004 allows a user 3002 to view into thehousing 2902 to see how a custom article is created. The viewing pane4004 effectively serves as a large window into the housing 2902.

FIG. 43 illustrates an example viewing arrangement. As seen in FIG. 43 ,the housing 2902 defines an aperture 4002 that extends across multiplesides of the housing 2902. Specifically, the aperture 4002 may extendacross the left and right sides and the front of the housing 2902. Theaperture 4002 may have any suitable height. In the example of FIG. 43 ,the aperture 4002 extends from the top of the housing 2902 toapproximately halfway down the housing 2902.

A viewing pane 4004 is positioned on the housing 2902 within theaperture 4002. The viewing pane 4004 may be flat and formed using anysuitable material, such as a translucent metal or plastic. The viewingpane 4004 extends across the sides and the front of the housing 2902 andeffectively serves as a window into the housing 2902. The user 3002 mayview the systems within the housing 2902 by looking through the viewingpane 4004. For example, the user 3002 may see the various systems in thehousing 2902 creating a custom article.

Any of the viewing arrangements shown in FIGS. 40 through 43 may includedisplays and may be touch sensitive. For example, the viewing panes 4004may include a display that presents information to the user 3002. Forexample, the viewing panes 4004 may display article options and designoptions to the user 3002. The viewing panes 4004 may also include touchdetection technology that detect the location of a touch of the user3002 on the viewing pane 4004. For example, the user 3002 may usetouches on the viewing panes 4004 to select and confirm articles anddesigns.

In some embodiments, the viewing pane 4004 may include a two-way mirrorthat provides different views to the user 3002. For example, the viewingpane 4004 may act as a mirror that provides a reflection of the user3002. When the user 3002 is interacting with the viewing pane 4004, theviewing pane 4004 may transition to display information to the user 3002and to allow the user 3002 to make selection (e.g., through touches onthe viewing pane 4004). After the user 3002 has confirmed article anddesign selections, the viewing pane 4004 transitions to allow the user3002 to see through the viewing pane 4004 into the housing 2902.

FIG. 44 illustrates an example viewing arrangement. As seen in FIG. 44 ,one or more displays 4402 may be positioned on the housing 2902. Thedisplays 4402 may extend across multiple sides of the housing 2902. Thedisplays 4402 may be similar to the display 2904 described with respectto FIG. 29 . The displays 4402 may present images or videos of thesystems within the housing 2902 creating a custom article. For example,the camera 2912 within the housing 2902 (as described with respect toFIG. 29 ) may take images or videos of the systems within the housing2902. The displays 4402 may present those images or videos after theuser 3002 has confirmed an article and design selection.

Some embodiments of the personalization kiosk include a combination ofviewing panes 4004, cameras 2906, and displays 2904. The viewing panes4004 may allow the user 3002 to see inside the housing 2902. The cameras2906 may take images of the user 3002 that are used to process a modelof a selected article and design. The display 2904 may include a two-waymirror that presents a reflection of the user 3002. The display 2904 mayalso display the processed model at a location corresponding to thereflection of the user 3002 to simulate the user 3002 wearing thearticle.

FIGS. 45 through 47 illustrate an example collaboration feature.Multiple users 3002 may use this feature to collaborate on thecustomization of articles. The collaboration feature may be implementedusing any suitable device. For example, the users 3002 may interact withpersonal devices or with the display 2904 to use the collaborationfeature to customize an article with designs. In alternativeembodiments, the users 3002 may collaborate using any number of devices,including the order entry systems associated with the vending kiosk,personal computers, personal pads and mobile phones and smart watches.

FIG. 45 shows an initial screen for the collaboration feature, where oneor more users 3002 input the initial settings for the collaboration. Asseen in FIG. 45 , the settings include providing a name for thecollaboration (e.g., “Family Reunion 2022”), selecting a base design forthe article, and providing the number of users 3002 in thecollaboration. After the settings are provided, the users 3002 mayproceed to the next screen.

FIG. 46 shows a screen of the collaboration feature that may follow thescreen shown in FIG. 45 . In this screen, each user 3002 may select adesign for a portion of the article. In the example of FIG. 46 , eachuser 3002 may choose a design for a corresponding square on the screen.For example, for a family reunion shirt, each family member may select apicture of themselves or a picture of an event from the reunion toinclude on the shirt. Each user 3002 may use a personal device 4602(e.g., a phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) to select a design in someembodiments. Each user 3002 may also interact with the display 2904 of apersonalization kiosk to select the design. When a user 3002 hasselected a design, the corresponding square on the screen may show theselected design. Some users 3002 may select multiple designs for thecollaboration. For example, a user 3002 in the example of FIG. 46 mayselect designs for multiple squares.

FIG. 47 shows a screen of the collaboration feature that may follow thescreen shown in FIG. 46 . This screen may appear after every user 3002in the collaboration has confirmed their design. In this screen, thearticle with the selected designs is shown. On this screen, a user 3002may confirm the designs for the article and order a number of thearticles. After the user 3002 has ordered the articles, thepersonalization kiosk may create the ordered articles with the selecteddesigns.

FIGS. 48 through 50 illustrate an example customization process based onuser experiences. A user 3002 may use this feature to customize anarticle using data collected for the user 3002 as the user 3002participated in certain activities or events. For example, at a themepark, data may be collected about the various attractions that the user3002 visited. When the user 3002 visited a personalization kiosk, thecollected data may be used to create a design that showed theattractions the user 3002 visited.

FIG. 48 shows examples of how a user 3002 may indicate that the user3002 has participated in certain activities or events. In one example,the user 3002 may use a personal device 4602 to scan a code (e.g., abarcode or a matrix barcode) at the activity or event. When the code isscanned, data may be collected indicating that the user has participatedin the activity or event. The personal device 4602 may also indicate tothe user 3002 that a new design pertaining to the activity or event isavailable for the user 3002 to use. In another example, the user 3002may scan a wearable device 4802 (e.g., a watch or band) that isregistered to the user 3002 at the activity or event. When the wearabledevice 4802 is scanned, data may be collected indicating that the userhas participated in the activity or event.

FIG. 49 shows a screen that indicates the activities or events in whichthe user 3002 has participated or can participate. The user 3002 mayview this screen using the personal device 4602 or the display 2904 atthe personalization kiosk. The screen may indicate the designs that areavailable to the user 3002 and the activities or events in which theuser 3002 may participate to make more designs become available. In theexample of FIG. 49 , the screen indicates that the user 3002 has designsfor riding the merry-go-round, trying a new restaurant, and walking fivemiles. The screen also indicates that the user 3002 may obtainadditional designs if the user 3002 visits a new exhibit or completes achallenge.

FIG. 50 shows a screen of the customization process. The screen shows anarticle with a design created using the data indicating the activitiesor events in which the user 3002 participated. For example, the designmay include pictures or icons representing the activities or events. Theuser 3002 may select from any suitable number of designs with differentarrangements of the pictures or icons. After the user 3002 selects andconfirms a design, the personalization kiosk may create the customarticle to commemorate the user's 3002 participation in the activitiesor events.

In some embodiments, the user 3002 may create the design for the articleby interacting with a cartoon (e.g., a cartoon character on the display2904 of the personalization kiosk). The cartoon may ask questions aboutthe user's 3002 desires (e.g., the type of article the user 3002 likes,the color the user 3002 likes, the design the user 3002 likes). Thepersonalization kiosk may include a microphone that allows the user 3002to verbally respond to the cartoon. When the user 3002 provides aresponse to the cartoon, an article worn by the cartoon may change tomatch the user's 3002 response. At the end of the interaction with thecartoon, the cartoon may be wearing the custom article with the designdesired by the user 3002. The user 3002 may then order the customarticle with the design worn by the cartoon, and the personalizationkiosk may create the custom article with the design.

FIGS. 51 and 52 illustrate an example customization based on user poses.Using this feature, one or more users 3002 may create a design for anarticle by performing certain gestures or poses.

FIG. 51 shows certain poses being performed at the personalization kiosk(e.g., in front of the display 2904). The personalization may capturethe poses (e.g., using the camera 2906 at the personalization kiosk).The display 2904 may also show the poses being performed (e.g., byreflecting the poses using a mirror or by displaying the poses capturedby the camera 2906). The personalization kiosk may then create a designusing the captured poses. In the example of FIG. 51 , three people areperforming poses in front of the display 2904 at the personalizationkiosk. The camera 2906 at the kiosk captures these poses, and thepersonalization kiosk creates a design using these poses. Thepersonalization kiosk then creates an article with this design. As anexample, the design may include cartoon characters performing the sameposes as those captured by the camera 2906. As another example, thedesign may include images of the people performing the poses.

FIG. 52 illustrates another example article created using capturedposes. In the example of FIG. 52 , the custom article includes a designwith three people performing captured poses. Two of the people areraising an arm and putting their other arm around another person. Otherdesign elements (e.g., caps and guitar) may have been added by thepersonalization kiosk.

FIGS. 53 through 55 illustrate an example customization process based ona user image. Using this feature, a user 3002 may create a design for acustom article using an image of the user 3002.

FIG. 53 shows a screen showing base design options. The user 3002 maysee this screen on a personal device or on the display 2904 of thepersonalization kiosk. On this screen, the user 3002 may select anarticle with a base design to use with the image of the user 3002. Inthe example of FIG. 53 , the user 3002 is viewing an article with themessage “good vibes only.”

FIG. 54 shows a screen with an image of the user 3002, which may beshown after the user 3002 selects the article with the base design. Theuser 3002 may see this screen on a personal device or on the display2904 of the personalization kiosk. The image of the user 3002 may becaptured by the personal device or by the camera 2906 of thepersonalization kiosk. The user 3002 may also add other design elementsto the design on this screen. In the example of FIG. 54 , the user 3002has selected to add hearts to the design. The user 3002 may select thedesign elements by using the personal device or by using gestures ortouches with the personalization kiosk.

FIG. 55 shows a screen with an image of the custom article and thedesign, which may be shown after the user 3002 confirms the article andthe design based on the user image. As seen in FIG. 55 , the customarticle includes the base design (e.g., “good vibes only”) and thedesign that includes the image of the user and selected design elements(e.g., hearts). On this screen, the user 3002 may view the customarticle and the design and order the custom article. After the user 3002orders the custom article, the personalization kiosk creates the customarticle with the design that includes the image of the user 3002.

Certain base designs may allow the user 3002 to position an image of theuser 3002 onto other body types (e.g., body types of other characters).For example, the base design may include a spacesuit and the customarticle may show an image of the user's face in the spacesuit tosimulate the user 3002 as an astronaut.

FIGS. 56 through 58 illustrate an example customization reveal feature.Using this feature, a user 3002 may select different options for how adesign is revealed digitally (e.g., on the user's 3002 personal deviceor on the display 2904 of the personalization kiosk).

FIG. 56 shows a screen of different options for revealing acustomization or design. The user 3002 may see this screen on a personaldevice or on the display 2904 of the personalization kiosk. As seen inFIG. 56 , the reveal options include spray paint, slingshot, andscreenprint. The user 3002 may interact with this screen to select oneor more of the reveal options. In the example of FIG. 56 , the user 3002has selected the screenprint reveal option.

FIG. 57 shows a screen with different design options, which may be shownafter the user 3002 selects the reveal option. The screen may show anysuitable number of design options. In the example of FIG. 57 , the user3002 may select a color and a character for the design. The user 3002has selected a particular color and a cactus character for the design.

FIG. 58 shows a screen that allows the user 3002 to reveal the designaccording to the selected reveal option, which may be shown after theuser 3002 selects the design options. As seen in FIG. 58 , the screenshows a bar that instructs the user 3002 to drag downwards on the bar.The user 3002 may drag down on the bar to simulate a screenprinting ofthe selected cactus character. As the user 3002 drags down on the bar,the cactus character is revealed according to screenprinting effect. Asused here, screenprinting is referring to the effect used to reveal theimage displayed on the display of a user device. The process ofpersonalization of an article by printing the selected image may beaccomplished by direct to garment or DTG printing, screen-printing,dye-sublimation, embroidery or any other suitable method.

FIGS. 59 through 61 illustrate an example guided customization process.This process may be implemented on a user's 3002 personal device (e.g.,through an app downloaded onto the user's 3002 personal device) or on adisplay 2904 at the personalization kiosk. The process may assist andguide the user 3002 through the customization process.

FIG. 59 shows a screen that shows design options. The user 3002 mayinteract with this screen to select a design. In the example of FIG. 59, the user 3002 has selected a design with spirals. Additionally, thescreen allows the user 3002 adjust certain options or settings for thedesign. In the example of FIG. 59 , the user 3002 may interact with thescreen to adjust the scale and density of the spirals. By dragging ondifferent bars, the user 3002 may increase or decrease the size anddensity of the spirals on the custom article. In exemplary embodiments,as the user 3002 adjusts the options available, the display may adjustthe representation of the user design as displayed to reflect theeffects of the user changes to the options with regards to the userselected design. In alternative embodiments, the user selected design isonly adjusted after the user indicates he has made all his desiredchanges, at which point the system may display the image of the useselected design corresponding to the user changes to the options, andthe user has a chance to accept or edit the options again.

FIG. 60 shows a screen that shows design options. In the example of FIG.60 , the user 3002 has selected a design with stars. Additionally, theuser 3002 has interacted with the bars to set the scale and density ofthe stars on the custom design. as seen in the example of FIG. 60 , thestars are smaller and less densely placed relative to the spirals in theexample of FIG. 59 .

FIG. 61 shows a screen that shows the custom article with the selecteddesign options, which may be shown after the user confirms the designoptions (e.g., design, size, and density). In the example of FIG. 61 ,the user has selected the star design with a particular size anddensity. The user 3002 may interact with the screen to confirm thecustom article. After the user 3002 confirms the custom article with theselected design options, the personalization kiosk creates the customarticle. In some embodiments, the personalization kiosk may offer theuser 3002 various options based on the user selected design (e.g., theadditional personalization of an appropriately scaled version of theuser selected design onto another surface of the same article such asthe sleeves)

FIGS. 62 through 65 illustrate an example guided customization process.This process may be implemented on a user's 3002 personal device or on adisplay 2904 at the personalization kiosk. The process may assist theuser 3002 in drawing and creating a design.

FIG. 62 shows a screen that shows design options. On this screen, theuser 3002 may cycle through different design options for a customarticle. In the example of FIG. 62 , the user 3002 selects a design witha snowman.

FIG. 63 shows a screen that allows the user 3002 to draw the selecteddesign, which may be shown after the user selects the design. As seen inFIG. 63 , the screen shows an outline or watermark of the selecteddesign. Because the user 3002 selected the snowman design, the screenshows an outline or watermark of the snowman. The user 3002 may drag afinger on the screen according to the outline or watermark to draw thesnowman. The screen also allows the user 3002 to adjust one or moredrawing settings. In the example of FIG. 63 , the user 3002 may drag ona bar to increase or decrease the size of a virtual brush used to drawthe snowman. By adjusting the size of the virtual brush, the user 3002adjusts the thickness of the lines created when drawing the snowman.

FIG. 64 shows the screen after the user 3002 has finished drawing thesnowman. As seen in FIG. 64 , the screen includes a bar that allows theuser to adjust the fidelity of the design. By adjusting the fidelity,the user 3002 adjusts how closely the drawn snowman resembles theselected snowman design or the drawn snowman. If the user 3002 prefersthe selected snowman design over the drawn snowman, the user 3002increases the fidelity.

FIG. 65 shows a screen that shows the custom article with the design,which may be shown after the user 3002 confirms the design. As seen inFIG. 65 , the screen shows the custom article with the snowman design.The user 3002 may also order the custom article with the design on thisscreen. After the user 3002 orders the custom article, thepersonalization kiosk creates the custom article with the design.

FIGS. 66 through 71 illustrate an example guided customization process.This process may be implemented on a user's 3002 personal device or on adisplay 2904 at the personalization kiosk. The process may assist theuser 3002 in creating a design.

FIG. 66 shows a screen on which the user 3002 may select an article orbase design. The user 3002 may interact with the screen to select anarticle with a particular type or color. Additionally, the user 3002 mayadjust the desired size of the article.

FIG. 67 shows a screen on which the user 3002 may view badges that theuser 3002 may use to create a design. In the example of FIG. 67 , thescreen is shown on the user's 3002 personal device 4602. The badge is awreath with the words “Christmas 2021.” The user 3002 may use thepersonal device 4602 to view every badge that is available for the user3002 to use. The user 3002 may gain access to additional badges as theuser 3002 participates in different activities or events.

FIG. 68 shows a screen on which the user may position badges on anarticle. In the example of FIG. 68 , the screen is shown on the user's3002 personal device 4602. The user 3002 has positioned various badgesonto the article. Additionally, the user 3002 may order the customarticle with the positioned badges on this screen. After the user 3002orders the custom article, the personalization kiosk may create thecustom article with the badges. In some embodiments, the availablepersonalization areas on the use selected article may be adjusted (e.g.,limited) based on the user's 3002 selection of design or style ofarticle, etc.

FIG. 69 shows a screen that shows badges that are available to the user3002. The screen also shows a message indicating that a new flower badgeis available. The user 3002 may have participated in an activity orevent that caused the flower badge to unlock. The screen also shows theselected article and other available badges. FIG. 70 shows the user 3002interacting with the screen to place badges onto the article. Forexample, the user 3002 may drag certain badges onto the article tocreate a design for the article. The user 3002 may position any suitablenumber of badges onto the article.

FIG. 71 shows a screen that shows the article with the badges positionedon the article. The user 3002 may have dragged the badges onto desiredand available positions on the article. The available positions may beaffected by the user's 3002 selection of article and design. The user3002 may also order the custom article on this screen. After the user3002 orders the custom article, the personalization kiosk creates thecustom article with the badges at the desired positions.

FIGS. 72 and 73 show an example guided customization feature. As seen inFIG. 72 , a user 3002 may wave a hand near the display 2904 of thepersonalization kiosk. The display 2904 may instruct the user 3002 towave the hand to reveal a design for the user 3002. As seen in FIG. 73 ,when the user 3002 waves the hand near the display 2904, a reader in thepersonalization kiosk may scan a wearable device 4802 worn by the user3002. After scanning the wearable device 4802, the personalization kioskmay retrieve data indicating activities and events that the user 3002experienced (e.g., attractions visited by the user 3002). Thepersonalization kiosk then designs a custom article with images showingthe activities or events experienced by the user 3002. In the example ofFIG. 73 , the custom article shows the activities and events experiencedby the user 3002 and an order in which they were experienced.

FIGS. 74 and 75 illustrate an example customization feature. Thisfeature may be implemented using the personalization kiosk and thepersonal device 4602 of the user. In some embodiments, a device coupledto the personalization kiosk may be used rather than the personal device4602 of the user 3002. As seen in FIG. 74 , the personal device 4602 maybe docked to the personalization kiosk. The user 3002 may interact withthe personal device 4602 (or a device coupled to the personalizationkiosk) to select an article or a design. Different effects may begenerated when the user 3002 makes different selections. For example,one or more tubes 7402 may be included in the housing 2902 of thepersonalization kiosk. When the user 3002 selects a particular color forthe article or the design, a ball 7404 of that color may be directedthrough those tubes 7402. As seen in FIG. 75 , the tubes 7402 may leadto a funnel and the article. Sending the balls 7404 through the tubes7402 to the article may create an effect that further engages the user3002, which improves user satisfaction.

In the current disclosure, reference is made to various embodiments.However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is notlimited to specific described embodiments. Instead, any combination ofthe following features and elements, whether related to differentembodiments or not, is contemplated to implement and practice theteachings provided herein. Additionally, when elements of theembodiments are described in the form of “at least one of A and B,” itwill be understood that embodiments including element A exclusively,including element B exclusively, and including element A and B are eachcontemplated. Furthermore, although some embodiments may achieveadvantages over other possible solutions or over the prior art, whetheror not a particular advantage is achieved by a given embodiment is notlimiting of the present disclosure. Thus, the aspects, features,embodiments and advantages disclosed herein are merely illustrative andare not considered elements or limitations of the appended claims exceptwhere explicitly recited in a claim(s).

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, embodiments describedherein may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product.Accordingly, embodiments may take the form of an entirely hardwareembodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware,resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining softwareand hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a“circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, embodiments describedherein may take the form of a computer program product embodied in oneor more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable programcode embodied thereon.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for embodiments of thepresent disclosure may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure. It will be understood that each block of theflowchart illustrations or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks inthe flowchart illustrations or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe block(s) of the flowchart illustrations or block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other device to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the block(s) of the flowchartillustrations or block diagrams.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause aseries of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implementedprocess such that the instructions which execute on the computer, otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, or other device provideprocesses for implementing the functions/acts specified in the block(s)of the flowchart illustrations or block diagrams.

The flowchart illustrations and block diagrams in the Figures illustratethe architecture, functionality, and operation of possibleimplementations of systems, methods, and computer program productsaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In thisregard, each block in the flowchart illustrations or block diagrams mayrepresent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one ormore executable instructions for implementing the specified logicalfunction(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order or out of order, dependingupon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each blockof the block diagrams or flowchart illustrations, and combinations ofblocks in the block diagrams or flowchart illustrations, can beimplemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform thespecified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the presentdisclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may bedevised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scopethereof is determined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A kiosk system for personalizing an article,comprising: a housing; an article retrieval system within the housing,the article retrieval system comprising: a shelving system configured tohouse a plurality of packaged articles, wherein each packaged article ofthe plurality of packaged articles is configured to be personalized bythe kiosk system; a motion system configured to retrieve a packagedarticle of the plurality of packaged articles from the shelving system,wherein the motion system comprises: a support member having a firsttrack, wherein the support member is configured to rotate about an axis;a retrieval member movably coupled to the support member, wherein: theretrieval member is positioned orthogonal to the support member, and theretrieval member is configured to move on the first track; and a carriercoupled to the retrieval member at an end opposite the support member,wherein the carrier is configured to retrieve the packaged article, andwherein the carrier is configured to present the packaged article forviewing to a personalization customer at one or more stages of apersonalization process; an article personalization system within thehousing, the article personalization system comprising a plurality ofsystem components configured to personalize the packaged article,wherein the plurality of system components comprises an articlepreparation system, a direct-to-garment (DTG) printing system, and acuring system; a transfer system within the housing, wherein thetransfer system is configured to transfer the packaged article betweenthe system components; a dispenser configured to dispense the packagedarticle after the kiosk system personalizes the packaged article; and acontrol system configured to control the kiosk system.
 2. The kiosksystem of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises an articulable memberconfigured to engage a feature of the packaged article to grasp thepackaged article.
 3. The kiosk system of claim 1, wherein the carriercomprises an electromagnetic system configured to engage a magnet of thepackaged article to grasp the packaged article.
 4. The kiosk system ofclaim 1, wherein the shelving system is configured to move on a secondtrack for the carrier to retrieve the packaged article.
 5. The kiosksystem of claim 1, wherein the motion system comprises the transfersystem and the motion system is configured to transfer the packagedarticle between the system components.
 6. The kiosk system of claim 1,wherein the retrieval member is configured to move the carrier towardsand away from the shelving system.
 7. The kiosk system of claim 1,wherein: the shelving system comprises a supply device and thedispenser; the shelving system forms an opening; the supply device isconfigured to move the plurality of packaged articles towards thedispenser; and the dispenser is configured to move a packaged article ofthe packaged articles through the opening.
 8. The kiosk system of claim7, wherein: the supply device includes a conveyor belt system configuredto move the plurality of packaged articles towards the dispenser; andthe dispenser includes a multi-directional conveyor system configured tomove a packaged article of the packaged articles between the conveyorbelt system and the opening.
 9. The kiosk system of claim 1, wherein:the shelving system comprises a pair of extruded members to support eachpackaged article of the plurality of packaged articles; and eachextruded member of the pair of extruded members comprises extendablemembers configured to move the each packaged article towards and awayfrom the carrier.